ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT CLUSTER 4:ENVIRONMENT, POPULATION & URBANIZATION Presented by African Union Commission 14 November 2010 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Cluster’s objectives and membership The objectives of the cluster are to address the opportunities and challenges of population dynamics, rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, pollution and climate change to achieve Sustainable Development in Africa Members of the Cluster include AUC, NEPAD, UNECA, UNDP, UNISDR, IOM, IMO, UNEP, UN-HABITAT, WHO, UNFPA, WMO, SADC, COMESA, ECOWAS and AfDB

Taking stock of the RCM-10 report and recommendations United Nations system organizations need to work more closely with the different Departments within the AUC RCM and cluster activities should, as much as possible, be results oriented and lead to tangible impacts, at least in the long term Clusters should make greater effort to undertake joint planning and programming of activities, and resource mobilization Reporting on cluster activities should be standardized and reflect the collective interventions and actions of all United Nations partners involved United Nations agencies and organizations need to improve inter-cluster coordination and information sharing within and across clusters

The AfDB should continue its participation in cluster activities and in supporting the development and implementation of business plans The AfDB should continue provide financial support to the RCM secretariat and clusters to enhance coordination and foster cooperation between United Nations system organizations and African regional and sub regional organizations UN agencies should also provide human and financial support to the work of the RCM and its clusters and promote joint mobilization of resources The RCM should consider mainstreaming cross cutting issues into cluster activities

Cluster Retreat Date and Venue: May 11-12, 2010, Tunis Retreat Objectives: –Review and finalize cluster 4 business plan with clear modalities for implementation and fundraising –Examine concrete modalities for implementation of agreed joint activities aiming at strengthening collaboration in support to AU/NEPAD and the RECs –Discuss and agree on joint resource mobilization initiatives Preparation and adoption of Three-Year Business Plan for cluster 4 and roadmap

Alignment of Cluster plans & activities with AU Strategies UN Ten-Year Capacity Building Programme for the AU AUC, DREA, NEPAD strategic plans AU Summit declarations and REC decisions Meetings of African Ministerial Conference on the Environment

Coordination and collaboration Inter-cluster coordination and collaboration AU Commission, NEPAD, RECs and AfDB participation in cluster activities –Meteorology and climate –Programme of Action for implementation of the Africa Regional Strategy on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) –Great Green Wall for Sahara and Sahel Initiative –Africa Development Forum –Support of NEPAD on sustainable urbanization –Nairobi Convention – Support towards AU member states

Resources and Capacity Building Support AU Commission : –GGWSSI, UNEP and AMCEN – Celebrations of the Africa Environment Day, AU member states and UNEP –Climate Information for Development in Africa (ClimDev Africa) Programme, AU, ECA and AfDB –First Conference for Ministers Responsible for Meteorology in Africa, in Nairobi, WMO and AU –2nd Ministerial meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Nairobi, AUC and UNISDR

Resources and Capacity Building Support cont’d NEPAD : working group on DRR (UNDP, UN ISDR, AfDB, UNEP) RECs : action and implementation plans for biodiversity in the SADC region (UNDP, IUCN, UNCBD) MEAs : African Monitoring of Environment for Sustainable Development (AMESD)

Communication and outreach AUC/NEPAD provided the cluster with their action plans & Key results for use in the preparation of Business Plan RECs provided input to the Cluster Business Plan & Work plan Advocacy and communication In line with recommendations of RCM 10 for each cluster/sub cluster to appoint one focal point for communication by 31 March Cluster designated 2 focal points

Results cont’d African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) –Support of climate change negotiations at COP 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark in December –Convening of the 13th Session of AMCEN successfully in Bamako, Mali in June 2010 –AMCEN Nairobi Climate Change Meeting, August 2010 –the joint AU-ECA-AfDB Climate Information for Development in Africa (ClimDev Africa) Programme and its African Climate Policy Centre set up in ECA.

Results cont’d Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in African Universities –Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in African Universities Partnership Programme (MESA):UNEP, UNESCO, Association of African Universities (AAU)

Results cont’d Great Green Wall for Sahara and Sahel Initiative –FAO (Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Mali and Niger) –UNEP, AMCEN, Pan African Agency Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEAs) EC-ACP (Africa Caribbean and Pacific) Capacity Building Project covering about 48 countries Maputo and Nairobi conventions Celebration of the Africa Environment Day AU and UNEP

Results cont’d -18th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development -AU Maritime Charter and Action Plan IMO and AU on Maritime Charter and Action Plan: GEF, UNDP, Member Governments and the shipping industry has been assisting countries to reduce the risk of aquatic bio-invasions mediated by ships’ ballast water and sediments Global Ballast Water Convention for Ballast Water Management (BWM) ratified by a number of countries

Results cont’d - The Nairobi convention Member states endorsed the Five year SAP Conference on CC adaption in WMO planned for 2011 in Mauritius - African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) - Extended Programme of Action for the implementation of the African Regional Strategy on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (2006 – 2015)

Challenges and constraints Inter-cluster cooperation Financial limitations Inadequate staffing Coordination/Collaboration Frequency of cluster meetings/attendance Aligning organisation programmes to the cluster activities Cooperation from AU and NEPAD

Lessons Learned and the Way Forward Financing of the cluster Support from the RCM Secretariat Information flow and communication Leadership and coordination Maintaining effectiveness of RCM and its Clusters Ownership of the Programme Improving implementation of the Programme