The African Soil Partnership consultation workshop that took place in Elmina, Ghana, from 20-22 May 2015 established a steering committee and finalized an implementation plan to guide the network's activities for the coming five years.
Convened under the auspices of the International Year of Soils (IYS) 2015, the workshop aimed to further consolidate the regional network in order to contribute to the objectives of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP).
22 May 2015: The African Soil Partnership consultation workshop that took place in Elmina, Ghana, from 20-22 May 2015, established a steering committee and finalized an implementation plan to guide the network’s activities for the coming five years. Convened under the auspices of the International Year of Soils (IYS) 2015, the workshop aimed to further consolidate the regional network in order to contribute to the objectives of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP).
The African Soil Partnership (AfSP) workshop brought together representatives from 35 African countries to identify regional priorities for sustainable soil and land management and plan the way forward for the regional partnership, which was established in early 2013 following launch workshops in Accra, Ghana, and Nairobi, Kenya. In addition to establishing a steering committee and working groups to oversee the AfSP’s activities, workshop participants discussed a number of regional and national events in 2015 and beyond aimed at keeping soils on the policy agenda.
Speaking during the workshop, Bukar Tijani, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, called for the regional partnership to facilitate links with national and local soil management programmes and develop synergies with other relevant initiatives and activities to “ensure that the partnership process is country-driven.”
Regional Soil Partnerships comprise interested and active stakeholders in various regions or sub-regions willing to contribute to the objectives of the GSP. During its second session in July 2014 the GSP Plenary Assembly adopted guidelines for the establishment and consolidation of regional soil partnerships “to be applied flexibly, taking account of locally specific circumstances.”
The 68th session of the UN General Assembly declared 2015 as the International Year of Soils (IYS) in order to raise awareness of the importance of soils in terms of food security, nutrition and essential ecosystem services and place soils back on the international policy agenda. Diverse events are taking place at national, regional and international levels under the slogan ‘Healthy soils for a healthy life.’ [FAO News Story] [GSP Guidelines for the Establishment of Regional Soil Partnerships] [IYS 2015 Website]