Executive Summary s;:; < e "It is going to be difficult for the African countries to fully adjust their economies if they do not have access to environmentally-sound technologies and scientific knowledge on ways of manaoina the environment." - President Daniel arap Moi Republic of Kenya Over the last 100 years, the global mean surface air temperature has increased by 0.3-0.6°C and the global average warmest years have been in the 1980s. The global sea level has increased by 10-20 cm over the same period. These are indicators of global climatic change resulting largely from human activity. The entire world now faces climatic changes with potentially disastrous effects largely as a result of activities in the industrialized countries, particularly high levels of fossil fuel use. African countries, which have contributed the least to the problem, may suffer disproportionately from its consequences, in part because of their limited financial ...A •1...-... to deal with other development issues. There is broad consensus among scientists that climatic change will occur, will have unpredictable and severe effects on ecosystems, and has the potential to have a devastating effect on developing regions such as Africa unless anticipatory measures are taken now. The International Conference on Global Warming and Climatic Change: African Perspectives was held at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya (May 2-4, 1990) to examine the possible impacts of global climatic change on the ecosystems, economies and infrastructure of African countries. Participants from the continent and other researchers from around the world presented the most recent data, models and case studies on the anticipated global warming and its impacts. The Declaration is addressed particularly to African policy-makers and researchers as well as to governments and interested parties globally. The Declaration calls for immediate action on policies to support research, review of planned development, strengthening of ongoing environmental conservation measures and cancellation of international debt as well as revision of trade policies to enable African countries to apply their resources to adjusting to climatic change. • More specifically, the African countries are called upon to introduce policies which promote diversification and flexibility in the economy as a means of reducing economic and social vulnerability. They are further urged to enhance reforestation and family planning efforts and to participate fully in international negotiations on climatic change and environmental management. • The industrialized countries are called upon to reduce their emission of greenhouse gases substantially, reduce barriers to access to environmentally-sound technologies, facilitate research on climatic issues and move faster in cancelling exter nal debt owed by the developing countries. • The United Nations system is called upon to support the participation of African countries in international negotiations, enhance training activities on climatic change and increase the dissemination of relevant information on the subject in particular, and on sustainable development in general. • The non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are called upon to increase their efforts in raising public awareness on environmental issues, promoting environmental education and mobilizing local communities to undertake measures such as energy conservation and reforestation. They are also urged to follow closely and participate in the current negotiations on climatic change. • The private sector is urged to increase its research efforts to develop environmentally-sound technologies and management practices and to disseminate these as widely as possible. In the final analysis, governments all over the world have a duty to formulate policies and establish institutional measures which will promote the proposed strategies. Individuals have a duty to take the first steps towards a more sustainable world through their own actions. Scientists are predicting a gloomy future; it is the duty of every person on earth to change this picture. The task ahead is enormous; action must start now.