Objectives

Overall objective

The overall objective of the Forum is to raise awareness and mobilize effective commitment and actions on the part of all stakeholders and partners at all levels to effectively mainstream climate change concerns into development policies, strategies, programmes and practices in Africa. ADF VII also aims to strengthen Africa’s participation in international climate change negotiations with a view to ensuring adequate reflection of the continent’s concerns and priorities in a post-2012 international climate change regime.

Specific objectives

More specifically, ADF VII will:

• Demonstrate the compelling evidence and impacts of climate change and the need for adequate climate information and services to better inform adaptation and mitigation policies and practices;

• Deliberate on the challenges that climate change poses to Africa’s development, and the opportunities it presents;

• Promote sharing of experiences, best practices and lessons learned in mainstreaming climate change concerns into development policies and practices;

• Define priority actions and measures needed to adequately address the climate change challenge, including leveraging on the opportunities it presents;

• Give momentum to Africa’s Common Position on Climate Change in preparation for the international climate change negotiations in Cancun, Mexico; and

• Build and strengthen new strategic alliances and partnerships to further Africa’s climate change agenda.

Expected Outcomes and Outputs

Outcomes

Discussions and dialogue during ADF VII will result in:

• African stakeholders being better informed about the threats and opportunities of climate change;

• Enhanced knowledge of African stakeholders in mainstreaming climate change concerns into development policies and practices;

• Strengthened capacity of African stakeholders to address climate change challenges and leverage opportunities presented;

• Effective participation of Africa in the Cancun climate change negotiations;

• Enhanced support for the implementation of Africa’s priority climate change initiatives and programmes; and

• Strengthened effective strategic alliances and partnerships for Africa’s climate change agenda.

Outputs

Key information and follow-up products that will be produced and disseminated during and after the Forum will comprise the following:

• Forum report

• Consensus statement

• Indicative plan of action

• Press releases

• Daily bulletins

• Web publications

• Compendium of the Forum Proceedings.