The overall objective of the workshop is to support African countries to implement Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) related to biodiversity and chemicals/waste, as well as contextualize financing their implementation at the national and regional level – to ultimately contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063. The target countries for the workshop are all part of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Focus of the workshop will be on strengthening the technical capacity of United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) together with National MEA Focal Points in the target countries to mainstream, implement and adhere to MEA obligations, including raising adequate finances for implementation. This includes financing implementation of the newly adopted Global Biodiversity Framework. The workshop will also train and support representatives from UNCTs on how to integrate MEA obligations and objectives at different stages of processes related to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) in countries.
The sub-regional workshop will be held between 25 – 28 July 2023, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop is the second out of two sub-regional workshop organized by UNEP Africa Office, the first one was held between 27 – 30 June 2023 in Lomé, Togo, for West African countries.
The workshops are organized under the ACP-MEAs Programme, a multi-year, multi-country partnership Programme established in 2009 with UNEP as the coordinating agency, in support of 79 Member States of Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) regions. Covering 49 countries in Africa, the ACP-MEAs Programme is now in its third phase and works in the region through the Africa Hub led by the African Union Commission (AUC) with its headquarters in Addis Ababa. The Programme is funded by the European Union and supported by the Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).
