FAO Regional Office for Africa

First Great Green Wall Conference

What:  1st Conference on the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI)

 When:   2 - 7 May 2016

Where:  King Fahd Hotel, Dakar, Senegal

Who: Organized by the African Union Commission in collaboration with the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (GM-UNCCD), the Central and West Africa Programme of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN-PACO), the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS), and the World Bank Group (WBG).

During the Conference over 20 countries north and south of the Sahara, international organizations, research institutes, civil society and grassroots organizations will come together to discuss the way forward to help the Great Green Wall initiative realize its full potential as Africa’s largest rural sustainable development programme.

The Conference will consist of a one-day High Level segment on May 3 bringing together African Ministers and Development Partners and a three-day Technical segment on May 4-6 to exchange and share knowledge across the Great Green Wall and beyond.

Objectives:     The Conference builds on the political momentum gathered at the Climate Change Summit in Paris, December 2015, where world leaders renewed their commitment to the Great Green Wall initiative, pledging USD 4 billion over the next 5 years for the restoration of Africa’s landscapes.

During the Conference, partners will define a roadmap for how to implement the Paris pledges to boost livelihood opportunities for local communities and establish greater resilience against climate change in the region.

 At the same time, nearly 10 years since the initiative was launched by African Heads of State and Government in 2007, the Conference will take stock of the results achieved in sustainable land management and restoration.

To further strengthen the GGWSSI Community of Practice the Conferencewill provide a space to share knowledge among partners through technical thematic panel discussions led by experts, practical interactive seminars and show-casing project best practices. 

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Journalists are invited to cover the high level segment at the King Fahd Hotel on May 3rd

Time: from 09:00 - 18:30

A press conference will follow

Time: from 18:30 – 19.30