The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
SIXTEEN AFRICAN Ministers responsible for wildlife conservancy are expected to attend the African Elephant Conservation conference that is set for Hwange National Park starting on Monday.
The conference is in preparation for the continent’s participation in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) 19th Conference of Parties (COP 19), scheduled for November 2022 in Panama.
Speaking at the post cabinet briefing on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa revealed the 16 Ministers will be drawn from all over the African continent.
In addition, African diplomats accredited to the country are expected to attend.
“The African Elephant Conference will also provide technical scientific research on African elephant conservation and management as well as assess the successes and failures recorded in that regard. Furthermore, the Conference will galvanize support on measures to improve African Elephant conservation in Southern Africa and agree on a framework for wildlife management.
“Overall, a total of 150 participants are expected to attend the event, including responsible Ministers from 16 Southern, Central, Eastern and Western African countries, diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe, non-State Actors, such as the CAMPFIRE Association, the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation and chiefs and local community representatives,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She noted that the Elephant Conference programme involves a two-day meeting of technical officials from 23 to 24 May 2022, followed by a one-day Ministerial Meeting on 26 May 2022.
The Minister revealed that the key output of the Conference will be a Ministerial Declaration on African Elephant Conservation in Africa that is to be referred to as the Hwange Elephant Declaration.
“Government emphasizes that the CITES COP 19 is critical in the country’s wildlife conservation and management programmes, especially that of elephants and stockpiled products. The outcome of the African Elephant Conference should, therefore, be mutually beneficial to all parties, including communities, wildlife, the environment and Government.
“In particular, there is need to look objectively into the issue of trade in elephant products as well as human-wildlife conflict issues in affected communities, and this Conference provides the appropriate discussion platform,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
