In April 2016, ESCWA in partnership with UN Environment, and the (League of Arab States) LAS secretariat (as JCEDAR’s Technical Secretariat) organized the “Preparatory Meeting for the AFSD and the United Nations Environment Assembly” which resulted in an outcome document presented to the 2016 AFSD and UNEA 2. Based on the successful outcome of highlighting environmental issues, ESCWA in partnership with UN Environment and LAS Secretariat is organizing the “Preparatory Meeting on the Regional Environmental Issues and Priorities for AFSD”.
The meeting aims to highlight the importance of the environmental dimension in the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda; highlighting the significance of natural resources sustainability to maintain livelihoods of the poor- specifically for the rural poor, women and refugees- ensuring their access to water, energy and land, and ultimately their food security. The selected LAS councils to the 2017 Arab Forum on Sustainable Development (AFSD). In order to best support the region’s contributions to this important regional forum, the meeting will mirror in its scope the themes of the 2017 HLPF.
The meeting will have the following specific objectives:
- Exchange perspectives and priorities on sustaining the natural resources base in the Arab region and implementing the 2030 agenda in general and SDGs 1 and 2 on poverty eradication and food security in particular, namely: “End poverty in all its forms everywhere”, and “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture”;
- Address impacts of the regional context and specificities on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and SDGS 1 and 2 in particular given the prevailing conflict in certain countries and the resulting displacement;
- Review the framework for integrating the environmental and natural resources dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into the themes and priorities of environment and natural resources in the Arab region, which would help the 2030 Agenda’s implementation. This framework is being prepared by ESCWA, UN Environment and LAS;
- Engage participants in a dialogue on the proposed future steps, and the adequate regional and national institutional frameworks, to monitor and review the goals and targets that have an environmental and natural resources dimension including energy, water, and Land. In this regard, the meeting will benefit from the insight of the Arab countries volunteering to make national reviews during the 2017 HLPF (Jordan and Qatar).
The meeting will result in a report that includes a set of key messages, conclusions and recommendations reflecting the participants’ views on the issues under consideration. The report will be submitted to the 2017 AFSD in which CAMRE will be actively participating.
Cairo, Egypt
