DATE / TIME:

December 5, 2011    09:00 - December 8, 2011    18:00

Location:

Accra

From 5–8 December 2011, the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) will organize an International Conference on Sustainable Development of Natural Resources in Africa, to be held in Accra, Ghana. Celebrating 25 years of UNU-INRA, this important conference will explore the theme of “creating a nexus between research and policy for sustainable management of Africa’s natural resources”.

The conference will investigate ways to harness land and water resources for improved food security in Africa, including options for mitigating and adapting to climate change. It will also consider appropriate frameworks for improving stakeholder collaboration and governance of the extractive industries. Furthermore, the conference will identify the key issues, opportunities and challenges for “green growth” that could provide insights for discussions at Rio+20 next year.

Specifically, the conference aims to address the following objectives:

• Take stock of UNU-INRA’s accomplishments over the past 25 years and chart a course for future research, training and capacity development in Africa;
• Identify challenges and opportunities for research and collaboration with African universities, research institutions and the private sector for natural resource management in Africa;
• Create a platform for dialogue and help mobilize African perspectives on the development of natural resources for the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development in 2012;
• Forge links with the private sector in the context of judicious management natural resource.

For more information and registration details, see the UNU-INRA website.