Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter
ZIMBABWE has been chosen to lead in African wildlife conservation following the establishment of the African Group of Negotiators on Wildlife (AGN) during the 20th Ordinary Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Nairobi, Kenya.
In a move aimed at uniting the continent’s voice in global wildlife negotiations, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks)’s director of international conservation affairs, Professor Patience Gandiwa, was appointed chairperson of the AGN.
Her appointment marks a major step towards ending decades of fragmented African positions on critical conservation issues such as elephant protection and ivory trade.
In an interview in Victoria Falls, Prof Gandiwa emphasised the importance of this unity.
“The episode of discordant voices from Africa on wildlife matters is in our past now. It is our desire, and I think it will be quite historic for the world to hear the chair of the African Group of Negotiators on Wildlife say, ‘Africa and its 54 member states are taking this position.’ That sends a strong message of solidarity in line with the African Union Charter,” she said.
The AGN’s establishment, formalised under Decision AMCEN/20/Dec 5, signals Africa’s renewed commitment to solidarity in global conservation forums. The group’s mandate is to co-ordinate common positions, advocate for science-based and equitable policies and safeguard both biodiversity and socio-economic interests.
Prof Gandiwa, who was nominated in absentia during an April meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, described the appointment as humbling.
“It touched my heart to be entrusted with leading such a critical group. This recognition is a testament to Zimbabwe’s leadership in conservation and the opportunities our nation has given me to grow in this field,” she said.
Her deputy, from a Francophone country, reflects the AGN’s inclusive and regionally balanced approach.
The group’s work comes at a critical time as Africa prepares for the 20th Conference of the Parties to Cites (COP20) in November in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Key agenda items include elephant conservation, sustainable wildlife trade and fair benefit-sharing with indigenous communities.
The AGN’s approach aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Draft Declaration on Wildlife for Climate Action, which emphasise wildlife’s role in climate mitigation through ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and habitat restoration.
Africa’s recent unity at the 2024 African Elephant Dialogue in Botswana, where 31 range states reached consensus on elephant management, demonstrated the continent’s growing capacity to speak with one voice. The AGN will build on this momentum by finalising Africa’s Cites COP20 position, promoting an African Biodiversity Fund, and ensuring inclusive conservation policies that benefit local communities.
“When we are divided as Africa, we cannot influence decisions or learn from each other. Our differences should celebrate diversity, not breed division,” said Prof Gandiwa.
Bongani Moyo