Nairobi, September 24 (RHC)-- Under the banner “Turning environmental policies into action through environmental solutions,” a three-day African ministerial conference on the environment took place in Nairobi, Kenya with ministers agreeing to implement innovative environmental solutions to achieve sustainable development in Africa. 

Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Keriako Tobiko, stated: “It is important to note that environment is the foundation and the basis of the social and economic development of our countries, I challenge you to come up with ways of enhancing the wealth from our rich biodiversity in forests, rangelands, wildlife and marine resources.” 

The ministers agreed to enhance capacity building of human capital to achieve sustainable development across the continent, and stressed that adaptation and finance should be central to achieving “the objectives of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," read a collective statement from the ministers. 

The group also urged the UN Environment Assembly to increase support to African countries as well as facilitate access to future innovative partnerships.   "We intend to develop common positions on various priority issues and speak with one voice during the upcoming 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference which will be held in Egypt in November 2018,” the group of environment representatives stressed.