I have just attended the 3rd Africa Animal Welfare Conference, which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 2-4 September 2019, at the United Nations Conference Centre within the larger United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA) Complex. This was organised by the Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW) in partnership with UN Environment.
This is an annual conference for professionals and practitioners, coming together from across Africa to discuss issues that cut across animal welfare, wildlife and environmental protection. The theme of this year’s conference was "Animals, Environment and Sustainable Development in 21st Century Africa: An Interlinked Approach".
The conference had a packed programme, covering a multitude of different issues and policy initiatives of interest to African animal protection stakeholders.
I delivered a presentation on “Struggling to Achieve a Global Deal to Save the Environment”, which covered WAN’s work on both the Global Pact for the Environment and the post-2020 review of the Convention on Biological Diversity. I also took part in a panel discussion led by Alexander Juras, Head of the Civil Society Unit of United Nations Environment, on how to engage constructively in UN Environment Assembly meetings. The notes from this meeting can be read here.
We also had a meeting in the margins with fellow members of the African Platform for Animal Welfare (APAW) who were present at the conference.
Read more about the conference here.
The proceedings and photographs for the conference will be available here on the conference website shortly.
The next AAWC is scheduled to be held in Ghana in 2020.
Additional Information
Blog on the Negotiations on a Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
Blog on Third Substantive Session on the Global Pact for the Environment.
