AFED Highlights
AFED News in a Monthly E-Bulletin
December 2017
• UN Environment Major Groups regional meeting, Amman, 25-26 September
AFED Secretary General Najib Saab delivered keynote speech on environmental challenges in the Arab region at the UNEP's Major Groups regional meeting, which prepared and developed the statement of West Asia to UNEA-3 that was held in Nairobi, Kenya in December.
• Arab Environment Ministers Council, Cairo, 18 October
AFED Secretary General Najib Saab presented findings of AFED report on the State of Arab Environment to the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE) at its annual meeting at the League of Arab States (LAS). AFED had been invited to contribute to the forthcoming Arab Environment Outlook Report 2, planned by CAMRE.
• AFED Annual Conference, Beirut, 2-3 November
AFED held its annual conference at Le Bristol Hotel in Beirut. It is the tenth in the series of annual reports on the State of Arab environment. AFED annual report: "Arab Environment in 10 Years" was presented and discussed during the event. The conference brought together about 450 delegates from 46 countries, representing governments, international organizations, leaders from public and private sectors, academics, students and civil society. The 2017 report received favorable reviews, and the conference sessions were lively and informative https://afed.me/2Aahcty Media coverage was unprecedented with over 15 TV networks, 12 radio stations and 36 news agencies and newspapers. At the conclusion, the conference issued a set of recommendations https://afed.me/2kqsfMh
• UNESCO Landmark Declaration on Ethical Aspects of Climate Change, Paris, 13 November
UNESCO General Conference in Paris adopted the landmark declaration on ethical aspects of climate change, which was drafted by a 24-member expert group, of which AFED Secretary General was a member https://afed.me/2jn01if
• Blue Eco Forum, Barcelona, 24 November
AFED contributed to the second edition of the Blue Eco-Forum, which tackled problems with regard to environmental governance in the Mediterranean. The activity was organized in the Maritime Museum of Barcelona by eco-union. AFED Secretary General participated in a session entitled "Sharing the Mediterranean: Dialogue on the Environmental Governance of Our Common Sea". He also talked at the launching of a book published on the occasion, entitled "Nature and Sustainability- Co-Existing in the Mediterranean".
• Green Growth Knowledge Platform Annual Conference 2017, Washington DC, 27-28 November
AFED participate in the GGKP annual conference, which was hosted by the World Bank. The theme of the meeting was Financing Infrastructure. AFED Secretary General stressed that transition to a low-carbon economy starts with adequate policies and regulations, and that the re-allocation of funds should precede fresh funding. AFED discussed partnerships for its annual report for 2018 on financing sustainable development in the Arab countries.
• UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), Nairobi, 27 November - 6 December
AFED participated at the third United Nations Environment Assembly, which took place at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi. The assembly opened under the slogan "Towards a Pollution-Free Planet".
• Environment Lecture Series at Shoman Foundation Launched, Amman, 11 December
"Environmental Tourism" was the topic of the last session in 2017 in a series entitled "Environment Today", hosted by Shoman Foundation in Amman. The monthly sessions have been organized by Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation and AFED. The series was inaugurated in August with a lecture by Minister of Environment Dr. Yassin Khayyat (https://afed.me/2vplkY7), followed in September by WWF Director General Marco Lambertini (https://afed.me/2ABzR2g), AFED Secretary General Najib Saab in October (https://afed.me/2BJbsHH), and a debate on waste management in November. The series continues in 2018.
