DECISION ON AFRICA’S PREPARATIONS FOR THE UNITED NATIONS
CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (RIO+20);
COMMON POSITIONS AND STRATEGIES IN THE FACE OF THE
CHALLENGE OF GREEN ECONOMY AND INTERNATIONAL
GOVERNANCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Doc. Assembly/AU/12(XVII) Add.3
The Assembly,
TAKES NOTE of the proposals by the Republic of Congo on “Africa’s preparedness for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD-Rio+20): common position and strategies to face the Green Economy and an institutional framework for sustainable development”', and COMMENDS the relation between this Decision, and the theme of the Summit “Accelerating Youth empowerment for sustainable development” as well as Article 19 of the African Youth Charter: “Sustainable development and protection of the environment”;
RECOGNIZES in the theme of the Malabo Summit: “Accelerating Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development”, the importance for Africa to prepare itself for the Conference of the United Nations on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20);
COMMENDS the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and its partners for their commitment and initiatives to prepare Africa for Rio + 20, and by this, COMMENDS FURTHER UNECA for having organized, in partnership with the Commission , the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), two (2) workshops within the framework of Africa’s preparations for Rio +20 on “Institutional and strategic frameworks for sustainable development in Africa” (March 2011), and the “Sustainable development indicators framework for Africa” (10-11 March 2011);
URGES Member States to take note of the schedule of negotiations of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20) and the preparatory meetings at regional and world levels, to ensure the active participation of African negotiators and experts and to ensure that Africa’s interests on the Green Economy issues within the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and institutional frameworks for sustainable development are defined and taken into account;
URGENTLY INVITES Member States to work for a Common African Position on the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20), which will be finalized in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in October 2011, and ENCOURAGES the African Group to support the said position in a consensual manner during preparatory meetings for Rio + 20 at regional and world levels and during the Conference itself to be organized in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 4 to 6 June 2012;
FURTHER INVITES the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), AfDB, UNEP and Africa’s sustainable development partners, to support Africa’s efforts by mobilizing the necessary resources to facilitate the implementation of this decision;
REQUESTS Member States, AMCEN and other Technical Specialized Organs of the AU, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), UNECA, and AfDB, to put in place financial and institutional measures necessary at national, sub-regional and regional levels for the implementation of this Decision; and in this regard warmly WELCOMES the initiative of UNECA and partners for the organisation of the future conference on Africa’s preparations for Rio + 20 scheduled for October 2011;
RECOGNISES that current institutional structures do not fully address Africa’s needs in matters of the environment, sustainable development and climate change; within the context of revision of institutional frameworks for sustainable development, TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION the need to strengthen, consolidate and transform UNEP into an international specialized institution for the environment based in Nairobi, Kenya;
APPROVES the proposal that Africa be represented by a spokesperson for the purpose of negotiating with one single voice at the international preparatory meetings for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio + 20), and MANDATES the Republic of Congo to coordinate at the political level, in consultation with Member States, Africa’s preparations for Rio + 20, in close collaboration with AMCEN and ECA;
REQUESTS the Commission to take all necessary measures to implement this Decision and the President of the Republic of the Congo, H.E. Denis SASSOU NGUESSO, to report to his peers, at the next Ordinary Session of the Assembly in January 2012 on the common African Position and strategies arrived at for Rio +20, for consideration and adoption.