Senegal officially launched its national PAGE initiative, which brings together the expertise of UNEP, ILO, UNITAR, UNIDO and UNDP, to implement national strategies and policies for a green economy.

“The country joined the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) to help the implementation of green economy policies” said Mr. Abdoulaye Baldé, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development in Senegal at a high-profile event which brought together representatives from several key ministries, social partners, civil society organizations, research institutions and development partners.

PAGE will particularly promote green industry, trade and employment as well as institutional capacity building on the green economy through training and support in the implementation of national policies.

The governance structure of PAGE Senegal comprises a steering committee as well as technical committee, which were formally established during the event.
PAGE will support on-going efforts in the context of the set priorities outlined in the Plan Sénégal Emergent (PSE) – the country’s national development framework for medium to long term economic and social policies.

According to Ms. Bintou Djibo, the UN Resident Coordinator in Senegal, “PAGE is an exemplary model of a one UN approach for supporting countries in their transitions towards greener development pathways”.

“Thanks to the cooperation of the five UN agencies, the Government of Senegal has been able to benefit from coordinated and complementary services, and take advantage of the expertise of these agencies”, she added.

The representative of the European Union Delegation in Senegal, speaking on behalf of the “Friends of PAGE”, highlighted the commitment of development partners and PAGE agencies to materialize Senegal’s aspirations in terms of achieving its transition towards a green economy.

Supporting a green economy and green entrepreneurship in Senegal

Parliamentarians and senators at a special governmental session were brought together to align and reinforce their commitment on the green economy. Senegal recently transformed its Economic and Social Council into an Economic, Social and Environmental Council (EESC), which makes it an influential institutional actor in advancing the green economy and sustainable development in the context of the country’s national objectives.

“Fostering green growth is an important part of the work of the EESC, and its advisors are working to promote the country’s initiatives for green and inclusive growth”, said Ms. Voré Gana Seck, Vice President of the Comission on the Environment and Sustainable Development.

Besides this high-profile event, the week-long launching of PAGE in Senegal included other activities such as the training of trainers on business development services aimed at developing the national entrepreneurship potential and the implementation of two national programmes on solid waste management and energy efficiency.

By creating the enabling conditions for the development of sustainable enterprises, Senegal will be able to realize the job creation potential of a green economy, as outlined in the Green Economy Scoping Study for Senegal, published by UNEP November 18, 2014.

“Workers in Senegal have already embarked on the transition process through various initiatives including the promotion of sustainable agriculture or the use of solar energy for agricultural irrigation”, said Mr. Mody Guiro, General Secretary of the National Confederation of Workers of Senegal (CNTS) and President of the ITUC-Africa.
“Capacity building through training and entrepreneurship development will allow us to better respond to the challenges and maximize the opportunities that lie ahead for the world of work”, he insisted.

Mr. Philippe Bary, President of the CSR initiative of Senegal, stressed that “the PAGE initiative fitted well in the series of actions launched at the 6th edition of the CSP Forum in Senegal, aimed at encouraging companies to engage in the implementation of CSR projects, especially those that promote green jobs in Senegal, such as the Project L’Incubateur de Thiès pour l’Economie Verte (ITEV).

About PAGE Senegal

The Partnership for Action on Green Economy is a partnership between UNEP, ILO, UNDP, UNITAR and UNIDO. It was created in response to the Rio+20 Conference, which called on the UN to assist interested countries in their transitions towards greener and more inclusive economies.

Senegal was admitted as a member country of PAGE after the first PAGE Global Conference in March 2014 that was held in Dubai. A scoping mission was then undertaken by the PAGE agencies from 2 to 5 June 2014 in Dakar. The mission allowed consultations with various stakeholders and resulted in the formulation of a draft action plan for PAGE Senegal.