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The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Africa Conservation Forum, opened today in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, under the theme African Solutions for Nature and People: Creating transformative responses to the biodiversity and climate crisis in Africa.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Africa Conservation Forum, opened today in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, under the theme African Solutions for Nature and People: Creating transformative responses to the biodiversity and climate crisis in Africa.Over 500 delegates are in attendance for the three-day forum, which has brought together IUCN Members and stakeholders from across Africa and beyond to discuss biodiversity, conservation and the sustainable development challenges faced by the continent.
Dr Alfred Mutua, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife of the Republic of Kenya, warmly welcomed participants. In his address, emphasised the importance of placing local communities at the heart of all conservation efforts.
“For conservation to be truly effective and sustainable, we must ensure that local communities are not only involved but are also primary beneficiaries,” he said. Dr. Mutua acknowledged Kenya’s rising human-wildlife conflicts and the lack of adequate funding for conservation, advocating for innovative partnerships to enhance Africa’s conservation efforts. “Kenya, with its rich biodiversity, is actively implementing the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, focusing on locally-led and appropriate solutions for nature and people,” he stated.“As a Union, we are glad to see the growing recognition of the need for inclusive conservation in the African region, and the engagement of so many different organisations and individuals in achieving our common goal of ensuring equity, justice and rights during its implementation,” said IUCN President H.E. Razan Al Mubarak.“
It is the first time we are holding a forum as one African continent, and I know this was the correct decision, because the voices of Africa are better and stronger together. People must be at the centre of our actions. United, we can create solutions that help people and nature thrive, recognising the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities,” said IUCN Director General Dr Grethel Aguilar at the Forum opening ceremony.
The event, held under the theme ‘African solutions for nature and people creating transformative responses to the biodiversity and climate crisis in Africa’, gives participants the opportunity to use the Union’s platform to amplify their voice and influence policy at regional and global levels.It is one of several IUCN Regional Conservation Fora, held across the globe this year, that offer Members an opportunity to shape the agenda for the IUCN World Conservation Congress, to be held in the United Arab Emirates in 2025.
The IUCN Congress in turn sets the global conservation agenda for the years ahead.In the past, the three IUCN sub-regions of Africa, under the auspices of Eastern and Southern Africa (ESARO), West and Central Africa (PACO) and the Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (MED), each held their own Regional Conservation Forum.
This year, inspired by the impact of the first-ever IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress held in July 2022 in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, IUCN hosts one Forum for the entire continent.Africa is facing significant challenges due to the dual crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss. The continent is severely impacted, necessitating the need for coordinated nature-climate action at the regional level.
With the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) signed in 2022, several ambitious targets have been set. Meeting these will require collaborative efforts.“We need to create transformative responses to the biodiversity and climate crisis in Africa. Fostering cooperation and dialogue across countries and sectors is of utmost importance if we are to help nature bounce back,” said Dr David Obura, Chair, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and Director of CORDIO East Africa as he addressed delegates at the opening ceremony.
The event features engaging high-level panels comprising African government representatives, scientific experts, Indigenous peoples and local community representatives in plenary and thematic side event sessions to address critical conservation challenges and trends in Africa.
