History of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment: 1985 – 2005

The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) was established in December 1985, following a conference of African ministers of environment held in Cairo. Its mandate at inception was to provide advocacy for environmental protection in Africa; to ensure that basic human needs were met adequately and in a sustainable manner; to ensure that social and economic development was realized at all levels; and to ensure that agricultural activities and practices met the food security needs of the region.