19 September 2008: The Danish Government’s Africa Commission
held a thematic conference on employment and economic growth in the context of
climate change in Nairobi, Kenya, on 18 September. The event was the fourth in
a series of five thematic conferences, initiated by the Africa Commission,
convened between June-October 2008, in various African cities.

The event
brought together over 100 regional participants representing universities,
research institutions, civil society, regional and international organizations,
NGOs, the private sector, governments and think tanks. Following an opening
plenary, five working groups convened in parallel sessions during the day. Each
working group considered a different theme, within the overall theme of youth
and employment in Africa.
The themes considered were: water resources; food
security and agricultural productivity; adaptation to climate change in urban
areas; economic development and clean energy and avoiding deforestation. The
groups’ outputs focused on three to five main recommendations with relevance
for international development cooperation with Africa. These recommendations were
subsequently presented to plenary in the late afternoon, after which a
discussion ensued in response to the presentations. [IISD RS coverage]