Second Forum of the Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA), Dakar, Senegal, 24-28 April 2017

More than 200 international delegates composed of decision and policy makers, planners, earth observation data users and experts from 49 beneficiary countries of MESA Project, other stakeholders and partner institutions are expected to attend

DAKAR, Senegal, April 18, 2017/ -- WHAT: The 2nd MESA Forum is organised by the African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Government of the Republic of Senegal under the theme “from Earth Observation to Policy Development and Implementation”. The European Union provides financial support to the MESA Project.

WHERE: Dakar, Senegal

WHEN: 24-28 April 2017

The Media is invited to cover the opening ceremony and Press Conference on Monday, 24 April 2017, at King Fahd Hotel, Dakar, from 9:00 - 12:00 AM.

WHO: Opening

  • Keynote address by Prof. Abdoulaye Dia, Executive secretary and CEO Pan African Agency of the Great Green Wall;
 •   Welcome Remarks by H.E. Mr. Marcel Alain de Souza, President of the ECOWAS region;
 •   Remarks by H.E. Mr. Isidor Embola, CEMAC, current PSC Chair;
•    Remarks by H.E. Ambassador, Joaquin Gonzalez-Ducay, Head of EU Delegation to the Government of the Republic of Senegal;
•    Statement by H.E. Mrs Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission;
•    Statement by H.E. Mr. Abdoulaye Balde, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development and H.E. Mr. Oumar Gueye; Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy of the Government of the Republic of Senegal.

Press Conference Speakers

  • H.E. Mrs. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission;
  • H.E. Mr. Oumar Gueye, Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy of the Government of the Republic of Senegal;
  •  H.E. Mr. Abdoulaye Balde, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development of the Government of the Republic of Senegal;
  • H.E. Mr. Marcel Alain de Souza, President of the ECOWAS Commission;
  •  H.E. Ambassador, Joaquin Gonzalez-Ducay, Head of EU Delegation to the Government of the Republic of Senegal.

More than 200 international delegates composed of decision and policy makers, planners, earth observation data users and experts from 49 beneficiary countries of MESA Project, other stakeholders and partner institutions are expected to attend the second MESA Forum.

WHY: The objectives of the 2nd MESA Forum, among others include, to:

•    Show case achievements of the MESA Project;
    Demonstrate how MESA services has influenced policy and decision making, policy development, and policy implementations at national, regional and continental levels in Africa;
•    Discuss how stories of successes in MESA will be enhanced in the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES & Africa Project) and other related pro- grams in Africa;
 •   Share best practices of the uses of satellite data for different applications at national, regional and continental scales in Africa;
•    Contributions of MESA to livelihoods of community development;
•    Enhance Africa’s capacity to access Earth Observation data and applications.

Distributed by APO on behalf of Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA).

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For more information:
Dr. Jolly Wasambo
(AUC) MESA Programme Coordinator African Union Commission
Tel: +251912646235
E-mail: WasamboJ@Africa-Union.org
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Dr. Bakary Djaby
(AU-MESA) MESA TAT Team Leader African Union Commission
Tel: +251 909 537954
Email: Bakary.Djaby@HD-MESA.org
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Mr. Hailu Wudineh
(AU-MESA) AU-MESA Communication Officer African Union Commission
Email: Hailu.Wudineh@HD-MESA.org; HailuW@Africa-Union.org  
Tel: +251 911671683
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Mrs. Thioro Codou Niang (CSE)
Communications Marketing and External Relations Officer Centre de Suivi Ecologique (CSE)
Email: Thioro.Niang@CSE.sn
Tel: +221 33825 8066
Dakar, Senegal

About MESA:
The Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA) Project uses space-based and in-situ data to enable an improved management of the environment and food security at continental, regional and national levels in Africa. MESA consolidates and widens the operational environmental services developed in the African Monitoring of the Environment for Sustainable Development (AMESD) programme, and is a contribution to the GMES-Africa initiative.

The objective of the MESA Project is to enhance access to reliable, timely and accurate land, marine and climate data and information for Africa. And the purpose of the MESA project is to increase the capacity in information management, decision making and planning of African continental, regional and national institutions mandated for environment, climate and food security. This is being achieved by enhancing access to reliable, timely and accurate land, marine and climate data and information for Africa. MESA is exploiting Earth Observation (EO) data and technologies to promote socioeconomic progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: Agenda 2063.

The MESA project provides eighteen services for the seven thematic actions: Management of Water Resources in Central Africa; Coastal and Marine Resources Management in the ECOWAS Region; Water Management for Cropland and Rangeland in the ECOWAS Region; Land Degradation, Natural Habitat Conservation and Forest monitoring in the IGAD Region; Marine and Coastal Management in the IOC region; Climate Services for Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa.

The MESA Project, funded by the European Union, is implemented with the overall coordination   of the African Union Commission. Specialised technical institutions of the Regional Economic Communities and Inter-Governmental Organisations (CEMAC, ECOWAS, IGAD, IOC and SADC) lead the implementation of the project in their respective regions. The project is also implemented with close cooperation of the European Union and partners such as European Organisation for the Exploration of Meteorological Satellite (EUMETSAT) and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC).

SOURCE
Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA)