Guided by global environmental concern, ministers of environment and government representatives of African nations have committed to promote and invest in innovative solutions while implementing concrete actions to overcome environmental challenges facing the continent.

In a ministerial declaration issued on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at the closing of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), African governments agreed to enhance innovative environmental solutions and capacity building of human capital to achieve sustainable development in Africa.

Speaking on behalf of the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, Mr. Keriako Tobiko, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment, said:” It is important to note that environment is the foundation and the basis of the social and economic development of our countries.”

“I challenge you to come up with ways of enhancing the wealth from our rich biodiversity in forests, rangelands, wildlife and marine resources,” he added.

Under the theme “Turning environmental policies into action through environmental solutions”, the ministers came together from September 17 to 19 to mobilise political support and committed to integrate innovative solutions into their countries’ national development agendas.

“Africa needs to invest in innovative solutions to change its development pathway in a sustainable way. We need to deploy new and smart approaches to overcome the continent’s most pressing environmental challenges,” said Dr. Nezha El Ouafi, Morocco’s Minister of Environment and vice-president of AMCEN.

At the conference, ministers stressed the need to empower innovators, the private sector, micro-small and medium enterprises and civil society to use new approaches to address environmental challenges. They agreed to support Pan-African platforms on the environment to promote and share experiences and solutions across the continent.

“Public-private sector partnership will have to play a key role in embracing innovation and turning environmental policies into concrete actions to achieve the objectives of the AU Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” Minister Ouafi added.

Committing to enhance their countries’ efforts to implement policies, legislation and programmes promoting innovative solutions, the ministers called on UN Environment Assembly and UN Environment programme to increase support to African countries as well as facilitating access to innovative partnerships.

“Africa stands on the right side of history to support the environment. We have the human resources, natural wealth, and leadership to innovate and transform our region,” said Joyce Msuya, Deputy Head of UN Environment.

Addressing the Conference, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said, “Environment is central to human health; every year almost 12.6 million people die from hidden risks in the environment.”

He called on African governments to put human and environmental health at the centre of policy making in all sectors.

Other key decisions made at the conference included:

• Biological Diversity: African Governments recognised the urgent need to combat land degradation and restore ecosystems in Africa. A Pan-African action agenda is being prepared to respond to land and ecosystems degradation challenges. The Ministers agreed to develop common positions on various priority issues and speak with one voice during the upcoming 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference which will be held in Egypt in November 2018. The priorities will inform the post-2020 biodiversity framework and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• Climate Change: The Ministers stressed that the outcomes of COP24 should reflect the spirit of the Paris agreement. The outcomes should balance between the Agreements elements related to action, support and transparency. Adaptation and finance should be core elements for effective operationalisation of the Agreement. They emphasised the importance of enhancing accessibility, predictability and sustainability of means of implementation, in particular finance. They agreed to work constructively to deliver the mandate of the Paris Agreement Work Programme.
• Health and Environment: Recognising the nexus between environment and health, Ministers agreed to actively participate in the third Inter-Ministerial Conference on Health and Environment in Africa, Libreville, October 9 to 12, 2018. The theme is: “Health and environment strategic alliance: a catalysis for action on the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa.”

The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly opened on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 with its President, Ms María Fernanda Espinosa, pledging to use her tenure to bring the world body closer to the people.

Espinosa, in her inaugural keynote address to the 73rd session of the 193-member General Assembly, also pledged to use her tenure to strengthen the people’s sense of ownership and support for the UN.

According to her, the need for stronger global leadership in the service of multilateralism, to ensure more peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies, would underpin her work.

“Let us proceed together, building a world more equal and freer, more sustainable and respectful of nature, and more inclusive and supportive,” she said.

Espinosa, who was elected the President of the General Assembly in June, succeeded Miroslav Lajčák, the President of the 72nd session, whose one-year tenure ended on Monday.

She is only the fourth woman to hold that position in the history of the world body, and the first woman ever from Latin America and the Caribbean region.

The General Assembly President outlined seven priorities – identified in consultation with Member States – that would shape the year-long session.

They are: promoting gender equality; promoting and implementing the new global compacts on migration and refugees; advocating for decent work; protecting the environment; focusing on rights of persons with disabilities; supporting the UN reform process; and facilitating dialogue.

“I am also prepared to facilitate quick and effective responses of the General Assembly to emergency situations as they arise,” she added, noting that “unfortunately, they will arise.”

Espinosa also pledged that she would uphold good practices in her office, ensuring its geographical representation, gender parity, and total transparency in its administrative and financial management.

She also assured that she would observe, “with absolute responsibility”, the Code of Ethics for the President of the General Assembly and would abide strictly by the precepts of the United Nations Charter and the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres also addressed the new General Assembly, congratulating Espinosa on assuming the office and noting the important issues that lie ahead.

“We need action for peacekeeping, gender parity, financing for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, empowerment for the world’s young people, urgent steps to end poverty and conflict, and much else,” he said.

Guterres called on world leaders to come to the high-level week beginning on Monday, “ready to be bold and ready to forge solutions for our global challenges.”

The Secretary-General also underscored the importance of international cooperation and for the Assembly to show the true value of working together.

“The Secretariat and I are committed to supporting you,” the UN chief said.

By Prudence Arobani

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) has restated its commitment towards peaceful resolution of the disagreement that resulted in the shutdown of its Belama flow station by some people.

SPDC said this in a statement by its Media Relations Manager, Bamidele Odugbesan, which was made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt, River State, on Tuesday, September 18, 2018.

Some residents of Belema and Offoin-Ama communities shut down the facility over alleged neglect of their interests by the company.

NAN reports that the local communities are also seeking Shell’s replacement with another firm in the management of the oil facility.

Meanwhile the Rivers Government has evolved a mediation process to explore the possibilities of resolving the disagreement.

SPDC in the statement said it was committed to peaceful and speedy resolution of the feud between it and members of its host communities.

“SPDC believes that all stakeholders in the matter should give the Rivers state government-initiated mediation process the chance to resolve the disagreement peacefully.

“Contrary to false claims in some quarters, the SPDC has not resumed operations in the said facility; it will only do so when it is safe,’’ it said.

Shell said that it was fully ready to implement some social investment programmes to benefit the people.

“This resolve is notwithstanding the fact that the company has not been allowed to operate the facilities since the illegal occupation,’’ the company said.

By Azubuike Okeh