Africa: New model to deliver on Rio +20 pledges neededBy RAY NALUYAGA | Wednesday, June 20   2012 at  11:37

The UN Economic Commission for Africa has called on coordination among international organisations to ensure the pledges made at different environmental meetings are met.

Speaking at a Rio+20 side event, the ECA's director for food security and sustainable development, Mr Josue Dione, said this would also ensure the effective implementation of promises.

Africa is calling for delivery on the many pledges made by richer countries at the major UN talks on sustainable development that begin Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro.

The region's common position calls for a definite outcome and a quicker method of implementing the decisions agreed at the Rio+20 Summit.

The Africa Consensus Statement agreed on by ministers at an AU assembly in Addis Ababa in October last year also calls for the fulfilling of previous pledges made to a continent widely acknowledged to be bearing the brunt of climate change.

"There is an urgent need for enhanced coordination and cooperation among all international organisations, agencies, conventions and environmental agreements that deal with sustainable development," said Mr Dione and called for a simplified approach that also ropes in civil society, private initiatives and the scientific community.

Co-ordinated strategies would help balance economic, social and environmental interests leading to quicker progress towards sustainable development, participants said.

A new global model of delivering could be needed, they added.

"It is important that existing regional governance institutions coordinate among themselves and integrate effectively the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development in their operations”, said Ms Rhoda Tumusiime, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Economy at the African Union Commission.

Mr Anthony Nyong, the Safeguards and Compliance manager at the African Development Bank said strengthened institutions at national, sub-regional and regional level on the continent would be an important asset to implement projects.

"That would mean the AfDB can more effectively work with individual countries and regional groupings to provide development support in the economic, social and environmental spheres,” he said.

The meeting also reviewed the need to enhance the effectiveness and current institutional infrastructure.

According to a statement, African participants agreed to engage in further talks post Rio+20.