Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE will push for direct grants instead of debt-creating financing mechanisms and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) in Armenia next week.
The conference, running from October 19 to 30 in Yerevan, will provide a platform for Zimbabwe to call for increased international funding for conservation, fair returns from genetic resources and stronger protection of community rights.
In a statement, the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife said Zimbabwe will participate in negotiations and ministerial engagements to ensure that the interests of biodiversity-rich developing countries are reflected in global conservation decisions.
The ministry described COP17 as a crucial milestone for reviewing collective progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
“Zimbabwe’s high-level delegation, led by the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, will participate across the full spectrum of negotiations, parallel summits and ministerial dialogues to ensure Southern Africa’s conservation priorities and community rights are firmly integrated into the international biodiversity agenda,” reads the statement.
On financing, Zimbabwe will advocate for increased funding and simplified access to international biodiversity funds, arguing that countries should not accumulate debt to meet global conservation commitments.
“The delegation insists that the global review of KMGBF implementation must be paired with scaled-up financial delivery, moving away from debt-creating mechanisms toward direct grants and streamlined access to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and dedicated multilateral biodiversity funds,” read the statement.
Zimbabwe will also push for equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of Digital Sequence Information (DSI) derived from genetic resources through the Cali Fund.
“Zimbabwe will push for clear allocation rules under the Cali Fund to ensure that financial returns directly flow back to biodiversity-rich developing countries, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) who act as the primary custodians of genetic heritage.”
The country will further advocate for conservation policies that respect community land rights, traditional ecological knowledge and free, prior and informed consent.
“Zimbabwe supports the implementation of KMGBF Targets 2 and 3 in a manner that upholds community rights, spatial justice, and equitable access to natural resource benefits,” read the statement.
The delegation will also push for the implementation of the Gender Plan of Action, including secure land tenure for women, gender-disaggregated data in monitoring frameworks and funding for women-led conservation initiatives.
On wildlife management, Zimbabwe will advocate for policies that balance conservation with sustainable use, rural economic development and efforts to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
The ministry said the delegation will also support efforts to address links between biodiversity and human and animal health while ensuring that interventions to mitigate zoonotic risks do not undermine community livelihoods.
Under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), Zimbabwe is strengthening its biodiversity economy to ensure that natural resources contribute to economic development alongside conservation.
“The approach is to ensure that biodiversity is not only a conservation issue but also an important contributor to economic development,” read the statement.
“The Ministry seeks to strengthen and establish, where appropriate, a structured biodiversity economy that integrates five key pillars, i.e., wildlife, forestry, fisheries, bio-trade, and the payment for ecosystem services (PES.”
The ministry said Zimbabwe has also developed the Third National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for 2026 to 2030, alongside wildlife and forestry policies, to strengthen natural resource management.
The Government is also reviewing Community-Based Natural Resource Management programmes, including CAMPFIRE, to increase benefits for local communities and reduce human-wildlife conflict.
The delegation will comprise officials from the ministries responsible for foreign affairs, agriculture and finance, as well as the National Biotechnology Authority, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Environmental Management Agency and Forestry Commission.
COP17 will run alongside the 12th meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol and the sixth meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol. The High-Level Leaders for Nature Summit is scheduled for October 16.
Zimbabwe will deliver its national statement during the High-Level Ministerial Segment from October 27 to 28, focusing on sustainable resource use, climate resilience and reforms to biodiversity financing mechanisms.
