On 16 and 17 December 2013, the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD and FAO, under the auspices of the African Union Commission, have organized an international forum to promote a common vision of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI) and build partnerships for its implementation.

The event took place at the FAO headquarters in Rome, offering an opportunity to inform representatives of African countries, international organizations, development banks, civil society and the private sector of the results achieved so far by the initiative and to discuss how the GGWSSI cancontribute even more to build the resilience of the people in the region and the natural systems on which their livelihoods depend. During the forum, participants have seeked to deepen and expand partnerships and aimed for the establishment of a mechanism for coordination between financial and technical partners.

The GGWSSI is a pan-African programme launched in 2007 by the African Union (AU) to combat the effects of climate change and desertification with a view to improving living conditions of the most affected populations. The Sahel-Sahara countries involved in the Great Green Wall have developed, and in some cases implemented, a mosaic of actions contributing to a variety of sustainable rural development and natural resource management programmes.

The GGWSSI is benefiting from the support of various partners. The European Union (EU), within the framework of the theme 6 “Climate Change” of the Africa-EU strategic partnership, and in collaboration with several partners, including FAO and the GM, is supporting 13 countries. Furthermore, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank are supporting the implementation of the initiative in 12 countries through the Sahel and West Africa programme (SAWAP).

The Forum materials (presentations, agenda, concept note) are available for download on the following page.