Consensus Statement of the Seventh African Development Forum on the theme Acting on14. Consensus Statement of the Seventh African Development Forum on the theme Acting on 14. Consensus Statement of the Seventh African Development Forum on the theme Acting

We, the participants in the Seventh African Development Forum (ADF-VII): Representing stakeholders from across the African continent, including governments, civil society, and the private sector met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 10 to 15 October 2010, on the theme ?Acting on Climate Change for Sustainable Development in Africa? at the invitation of the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), supported by the United Nations family and development partners as observers; Aware that climate change is a serious, urgent and compelling issue and that Africa, which contributes a negligible amount of greenhouse gas emissions (less than four per cent), is particularly vulnerable to climate variability and change; Noting that the impacts of climate change have far-reaching implications for Africa?s growth, social, human and economic development, environmental sustainability, governance, peace and security and on sustainable development as a whole and that the negative impacts are particularly high for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDs) and the poor, mostly women and children, who tend to live in environments that are most susceptible to droughts, floods, desertification and other extreme climatic events;