The World Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio +10)
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AFRICAN PREPARATORY CONFERENCE FOR THE WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Nairobi, 15-18 October 2001
ASSESSMENT OF PROGRESS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA SINCE RIO (1992)
Report prepared by the Expanded Joint Secretariat in cooperation with sub-regional organisations for the preparation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development
CONTENTS
The Road from Rio to Johannesburg
Environment and Development in Africa: An Overview
Environmental factors
Socio-economic factors
II THE 1992 RIO AGENDA: 10 YEARS DOWN THE LINE
A. Conservation and management of resources for development:
Atmosphere
Land and sustainable agriculture
Drought and desertification
Biodiversity and forests
Marine and coastal ecosystems and their resources
Water resources and quality
Toxic chemicals and hazardous wastes
B. Social and economic dimensions
Financial resource flows to Africa
Trade and environment
Globalization
Infrastructure
Governance, human rights, conflict prevention and post-conflict peace building
The state of poverty
The poverty and environment nexus
Education
Provision of basic health services
The HIV/AIDS scourge
Integrating environmental concerns into key policies, plans and decision making
C. The role of major groups
The implementation of the Rio Conventions
Global Environment Facility (GEF) resources
Environmentally-sound technologies
IV PROBLEMS AND CONSTRAINTS IN IMPLEMENTING AGENDA 21 AND THE LESSONS LEARNT
A. Constraints and challenges faced by the Region
B. Impact of Agenda 21 on sustainable development in the region
A. International environmental governance
B. The role of the African Union in dealing with the region's crises
C. The new development agenda for Africa
Poverty eradication
Mobilizing resources for sustainable development
Reversing environmental deterioration, including sound management of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and their resources
Promoting environmentally-sound technologies
Promoting regional and international trade
Promoting the role of civil society
International environmental governance
Promoting peace, democracy and human rights
Table 1. Flow of ODA and private capital to African countries and the debt crisis
Table 2. Poverty indicators for African countries
Table 3. Occurrences of natural disasters in Africa: January 1992 - July 2001
Table 4. Survival: progress setbacks of African countries
Table 5. Leading health crises and challenges of African countries
Table 6. Status of ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol
Table 7. Status of ratification of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
Table 8. Status of ratification of the United Nations Conventions to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
Table 9. Priority issues proposed by the African subregional meetings for the WSSD
STRUCTURE OF REPORT
The Assessment Report starts with the introduction which briefly reviews the Rio outputs including Agenda 21 as well as providing an over view of the environmental and social economic factors prevailing in Africa on the eve of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
Chapter II discusses in detail the status of selected Agenda 21 issues and some programme areas as well as providing some achievements during the past decade. The Chapter is divided into three sections, namely conservation and management of natural resources, social and economic dimensions and the role of major groups. Some emerging issues such as combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic and globalisation are also addressed.
Chapter III reviews a number of international legal instruments and mechanisms with emphasis on post Rio Conventions which were put in place for the implementation of Agenda 21. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) which was designated as the principal interim financial mechanism for certain global environmental issues is also briefly reviewed. The transfer to Africa of environmentally sound technology for enhancement of sustainable development is also highlighted.
The constraints encountered by the region in implementing Agenda 21 are briefly highlighted in Chapter IV. Some of the constraints and challenges were of global nature while others had their origins in Africa. Also highlighted in this chapter is the impact of Agenda 21 on sustainable development in the region, including the role of African Ministerial Conference On The Environment (AMCEN) in harmonizing Africa's position on multilateral agreements.
Chapter V outlines the new development agenda for further implementation of Africa's priorities in the context of WSSD process as proposed by the meetings of the regional economic integration organizations (ECOWAS/CILSS, SADC, ECCAS, AMU and IGAD/COMESA).
ADDENDUM
1. The following paragraph should be inserted after paragraph number 43 of the text.
In some countries community based natural resources management plans and biodiversity strategy action plans under the auspices of the regional and international conventions have been put in place. All the five sub-regions have developed the Sub-Regional Action Programmes (SRAPs) in the context of UNCCD to combat desertification and the mitigation of the impacts of drought. Some sub-regions have prepared resource mobilization strategies to support the implementation of the SRAPs. Most of the sub-regions are now in the process of developing programmes and projects on the priority areas identified in the SRAPs.
2. The following paragraph should be inserted after paragraph number 49 in the text.
In order to halt deforestation and forest degradation, a number of countries have established National Forest Action Plans to enhance the long term development and management of forests. ECCAS sub-region, for example, has created a sub-regional instrument on forest ecosystems. In the SADC sub-region efforts are underway to promote sustainable sub-regional self-sufficiency in forest/wood products through the SADC forest sector. The Sector developed the Forest Policy and Development Strategy which was approved in 1997. Efforts are now underway to finalize and implement a SADC Forest Protocol. With regard to the implementation of CBD, the SADC countries have adopted the SADC Biodiversity Strategy. The programme aims at the conservation of both flora and fauna through the development of strategies for their conservation.
3. The following paragraph should be inserted after paragraph number 61 in the text.
With regard to the water resources sector, some sub-regions have developed sub-regional plans for integrated water resources development and management plans. In the case of SADC sub-region, the Protocol on Shared Water Course Systems was signed in 1995 by the majority of member states. In the following year the SADC Water Sector Coordination Unit was established.
4. The following paragraph should be inserted after paragraph number 64 in the text.
In view of the fact that more than 300 million people in the region lack access to safe water, the Summit is called upon to adopt a global strategy including the necessary financial resources to achieve the Millennium Declaration target on access to safe water and sanitation services.
5. The following paragraph should be inserted after paragraph number 70 in the text.
Ninety six per cent of the African countries have ratified the Rio conventions (the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)), and have taken some steps to implement them.
Forty-six countries of the region are Parties to the Vienna Convention and forty-seven are Parties to the Montreal Protocol. Twenty-eight countries have signed the Biosafety Protocol while five have ratified the Kyoto Protocol and another five have signed it. Twenty-eight per cent of African States have become Parties to the Bamako Convention. Countries which have not ratified or acceded to the Bamako convention are called upon to do so, so that the goals of the convention can be realized.
6. The following paragraph should be inserted after paragraph number 81 in the text.
Privatization has been quite successful in some sub-regions. Inefficient public enterprises have been replaced by comparatively efficient private ones, thereby increasing the goods available to people. Privatization has also reduced state bureaucracy because of reduced state tasks.
7. The following paragraph should be inserted after paragraph number 104 in the text.
Nearly all countries of the region have established a Task Force on disaster management. At the sub-regional level the Early Warning Systems (EWS) have been established for crops, livestock, drought, floods, cyclones, etc. The EWS work closely with the national meteorological services and other sub-regional and regional institutions such as Drought Monitoring Centres, African Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), AGRHYMET and Hydro-Niger.
8. The following paragraph should be inserted after paragraph number 115 in the text.
In order to improve health conditions of the people, some countries have introduced health levies as well as carrying out awareness campaigns especially against sexually transmitted diseases, including the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In the SADC sub-region, a Health Protocol has been formulated and approved by the Heads of State. In many countries of the region, a Task Force on HIV/AIDS pandemic has been established. In the case of SADC, however, the Task Force on HIV/AIDS has been established at the sub-regional level and has developed a SADC Strategic Framework on HIV/AIDS for 2000-2004.
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