CMS Executive Secretary Addresses AMCEN 15

Bonn, 5 March 2015 – The high-level segment of the 15th Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) opened in Cairo, yesterday, with delegations from 54 African nations in attendance together with over 300 participants from around the continent representing policy-makers, experts, civil society and businesses. Also attending the meeting are partner organizations, UN agencies and representatives from the donor community.

The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Abdel Fattah El Sisi, received an AMCEN ministerial delegation and UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Achim Steiner, hours ahead of the Opening of the Conference. Egypt is presiding over the 15th Session of the AMCEN for a period of two years, while UNEP acts as the Secretariat.

CMS Executive Secretary, Bradnee Chambers addressed the Conference, drawing to participants’ attention to the need to tackle wildlife crime, which was taking a particularly heavy toll of Africa’s living natural resources.  A copy of Mr Chambers’ statement can be found here.

Membership of CMS among African countries is high – 44 of the Convention’s 120 Parties (37%) are from the region.  Only ten African countries have not acceded and several of these participate in regional Agreements and MOUs concluded under the Convention.

UNEP Press Release