The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Ramsar / UNEP workshop on Africa's wetland management strategy -- agenda

[français] 

Developing further the Plan of Action to implement Africa's wetland management strategy under the Environmental Initiative of NEPAD
(New Partnership for Africa's Development)

A Workshop organized by
the Ramsar Convention Bureau and the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
prior to Ramsar COP8

Valencia, Spain, 17 November 2002, from 10.00 - 18.00,
at the Ramsar COP8 venue: Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Participants should arrive well in advance to proceed to registration for Ramsar COP8 in order to have access to the building. There will be a special line for the NEPAD Workshop participants.

Proposed Chairman : Mr. Anderson Koyo, Kenya

Proposed Rapporteur: Mr. Simon Rafanomezantsoa, Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for Africa, Bureau of the Ramsar Convention

Draft Agenda

10.00-10.15 Short presentations on background information

i. Wide-ranging wetland issues and concerns
ii. Key ongoing or planned actions that can serve as a baseline on which NEPAD can build a solid strategy and a realistic Action Plan on wetlands, by Mr. Anada Tiega, Regional Coordinator for Africa, Ramsar Convention Bureau

10.15-10.30 Discussion and consensus building

10.30-11.00 Presentation of the 12 items described in the Discussion Document prepared by the Ramsar Bureau

11.00-12.30 Discussion of the following items:

· Identify critical issues on watersheds, wetlands, water, food security, and poverty alleviation that could undermine the NEPAD process if not properly addressed

· Make suggestions about a vision of African wetlands that can support the core objectives of the NEPAD as a whole

· Make suggestions about major objectives of the Strategy

· Identify approaches that can enhance the NEPAD process and promote successful achievements of the Wetland Action Plan

· Identify priority options for wetland and water management

· Select the priority actions that are expected to initiate the implementation of these options

· Identify some of the critical issues that require trade-offs as a way to build consensus among major players

12.30-14.00 Lunch break

1400-15.00 Review of the Proposed Strategy for Managing Africa's Wetlands (see UNEP's document "Thematic Paper on Management of Africa's Wetlands")

15.00-16.00 Suggest some key building blocks of a funding strategy

16.00-17.00 Identify the major players and suggest roles and responsibilities to be collectively assumed

17.00-17.45 Suggest key players to be considered for building partnerships at all levels:

· At local /provincial/state level
· At national level
· At sub-regional level
· At international level

17.45-18.00 Suggest members of the NEPAD thematic Working Group Core Team on Wetlands

18.00 Closure of the Meeting

For further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ). Posted 8 November 2002, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.