Training for African negotiators to have strong voice at Rio+20

African Development Bank (AfDB) experts will join partners on March 15, 2012 in New York City, to provide a training session for African negotiators in support of preparations for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) and to ensure Africa “speaks with one voice.”

The training will take place prior to negotiations on the zero draft of the Rio+ 20 outcome document, and will focus on Africa’s preparatory process and common position toward Rio+20, negotiation strategies from regional and global perspectives, and effective negotiating skills.

The AfDB said its trainers, Anthony Nyong, Division Manager of the Compliance and Safeguards Division, and Musole Musumali, Natural Resource Management Expert, will highlight the Bank’s experience in implementing sustainable development on the continent and in working with African climate change negotiators.

The training is the latest of many consultations the AfDB and partners have organized in the past year to prepare ambassadors and negotiators from African states.

Rio+20 will be held June 20-22, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Partners in the Rio+20 planning include the AfDB, African Union Commission (AU), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme Regional Office for Africa (UNDP-RoA) and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

By Ekow Quandzie