Report of the launch of K4GGWA Program)

The African Union Commission hosted the event «A Week on the Great Green Wall» in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 6–10 November 2023. The event brought together key stakeholders and partners supporting the Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative to facilitate dialogue and enhance synergies among regional programmes. The meeting included the African Union Commission (AUC), the European Union (EU), the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green Wall (PAGGW), CIFOR-ICRAF, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), GGW Technical and Financial Partners (TFPs) and civil society organizations.

The event facilitated dialogue between key stakeholders and partners supporting the GGW initiative to enhance synergies, discuss the GGW’s progress and participate in a series of workshops and information sessions. The week also included the 8th Regional Steering Committee meeting for the GGW initiative, during which a draft of the Continental GGW new framework strategy was presented.

Significantly, the week marked the launch of the Knowledge for Great Green Wall Action (K4GGWA),
a programme led by CIFOR-ICRAF and the FAO. K4GGWA aims to empower key stakeholders to enhance their knowledge management and sharing mechanisms, develop learning and data platforms, foster dialogue at national and regional levels, and fund innovations. It also aims to strengthen policies and institutions and enhance the capacities of national and regional GGW agencies.

The AUC, the EU, CIFOR-ICRAF and the FAO facilitated the week-long event.