FAO African Forestry and Wildlife Commission - 20th Session, Nairobi, Kenya (1-5 February 2016)
FAO African Forestry and Wildlife Commission
Created in 1959, the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission (AFWC) is one of six Regional Forestry Commissions established by FAO to provide a policy and technical forum for countries to discuss and address forest issues on a regional basis. It meets every two years.
FAO encourages wide participation of government officials from forestry and other sectors as well as representatives of international, regional and subregional organizations that deal with forest-related issues in the region, including NGOs, and the private sector.
Managing African Forests and Wildlife towards sustaining people and the planet
The 20th Session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission & the 4th African Forestry and Wildlife Week take place in Nairobi, Kenya from 1 to 5 February 2016, at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) will bring together forestry experts and decision-makers from the region to discuss regional and global issues and policies on sustainable forest and wildlife management.
The theme for the session is “Sustainable Management of Forests and Wildlife in Africa: Enhancing Values, Benefits and Services”. The theme has been selected in a bid to highlight and implement the many facets of sustainable management of forestry and wildlife, and to fully capture their importance in sustaining the livelihood of millions of people on the continent, and in contributing towards sustainable development in the region.
On a shared theme, the Fourth African Forest and Wildlife Week (AFWW) will show-case African Forests and wildlife and their contribution to economic and social development in the continent. AFWW intends to draw the attention of policy makers and the public to the contribution of forests and wildlife to the national economy and the improvement of the livelihoods of the populations, and will include several exhibitions and side events during the event.
Renowned individuals from the public and private sectors and the academia will deliver keynote addresses with varying emphasis on the social, economic and environmental values of forests and wildlife and the need for their viable management. This will provide a platform for exchange of knowledge, information and experiences to help inform policy at national and sub-regional levels. Government officials from forestry, wildlife and other sectors as well as representatives of international, regional and sub-regional organizations that deal with forest and wildlife-related issues in the region are expected to participate.
Mandate of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission
Its purpose is to advise on the formulation of forest and wildlife management policy and to review and coordinate its implementation at the regional level; to exchange information and, generally through special Subsidiary Bodies, advise on suitable practices and action in regard to technical problems; and to make appropriate recommendations in relation to the foregoing.