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Herald Reporter

Zimbabwe is participating at the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Dakar, Senegal, where Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu, is leading the delegation at talks where the need to end plastic pollution is one of the major points.

The session is being held under the theme: “Securing people’s well-being and ensuring environmental sustainability in Africa”. 

Minister Ndlovu said the session was considering environmental challenges and opportunities in Africa in the post-Covid-19 era. 

Central to the theme is the need for a people-centred recovery that focuses on peoples’ well-being through environmental actions that create jobs and improve livelihoods.

Minister Ndlovu said the main objective of the 18th conference was to provide government ministers an opportunity to provide policy guidance for the effective participation of African countries in the upcoming key global environmental events.  Some of the crucial global events include the 27th session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP27, scheduled to take place in November in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, and the 15th session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity scheduled for Montreal, Canada the following month.

Other key issues being addressed during the Dakar session include Africa’s participation in the development of an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. Yesterday, the ministers were invited to exchange views to reach consensus or agreement.

The ministers are also expected to deliberate on enhancing implementation of the decisions of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, including the Africa Green Stimulus Programme, enhancing the role of the environment protection agencies in Africa, collaboration between the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment and African Ministers of Finance and Economic Planning, the phasing out of open burning of waste in Africa, and fostering sustainable soil governance in Africa.

Other issues related to progress on the development of an African Oceans Governance Strategy, antimicrobial resistance, outcomes of the COP26 and preparations for the COP27.

Yesterday, Greenpeace Africa activists staged a protest at the beach of Ouakam and outside King Fahd Palace Hotel during the official opening of the conference to tell Africa’s environment ministers to keep plastic pollution out of the continent.

The activists were demanding that Africa’s leadership support a legally binding instrument to end the plastic pollution crisis.

The conference is expected to craft an African position on an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution including in the marine environment — as adopted by the UNEA 5.2 resolution in March this year.

“We hope that our ministers will use this opportunity to strengthen cooperation among governments across Africa and together forge a strong support for the global plastic treaty to finally turn off the plastic tap for the sake of our communities, our climate and our continent,” said Greenpeace Africa’s oceans & plastic campaigner, Ms Awa Traoré.

At the end of the conference, ministers are expected to consider a draft declaration, decisions and key messages and agree on the venue and date of the 19th session.

AMCEN was established in 1985 by African Ministers of Environment in Cairo, Egypt. There are two regular sessions of the conference which are held after every two years. 

In addition, the conference has special sessions which are held in between the regular sessions to consider specific issues of concern.