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The special session of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEM) held today Sunday 2 December 2012 in Doha, Qatar, in preparation to the 18th Conference of the Parties (COP18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 8th Session of the Conference of the Parties (CMP8).

The meeting, organized by the African Union Commission (AUC) and AMCEN Secretariat, was held in the presence of Mrs. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, Commissioner of Rural Economy and Agriculture at the AUC; Dr. Emmanuel Dlamini, Chair of African Group of Negotiators (AGN); and chaired by Ms. Terezya Huviza, President of AMCEN.

The one day meeting has been discussed matters related to CoP18 that includes strategic issues and priorities for Doha; critical issues under the Kyoto Protocol, Bali Action Plan and Durban Platform for Africa.  
During the meeting, Mrs. Tumusiime commended the leadership of AMCEN for championing Africa’s interests in the areas of environment, climate change and sustainable development. “AU Member States should continue to rely on the African Common Position so that African voice remains united, strong and effective in advancing Africa’s common interest”, Tumusiime urged.      

In his presentation on the Conference, the Chair of AGN highlighted the objective of global climate change negotiations to stabilise greenhouse gases in the atmosphere so as to reduce global warming and prevent socio-economic catastrophes.

Dr. Emmanuel briefed the Ministers on progress made since Bali through Copenhagen, Cancun and Durban. He called up on African Ministers to push for the concretisation of this progress to ensure the second commitment period for Kyoto Protocol is realised and support, both technical and financial, be extended by developed countries to developing countries.