Story | 23 Apr, 2021

The inaugural IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress officially relaunched

The Government of Rwanda will in March 2022 host the inaugural IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) to discuss conservation of the continent’s protected areas. This comes after the relaunch of APAC in Kigali, Rwanda on 20th April 2021.

Photo: © IGIHE

Dr Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya - Minister of Environment – Republic of Rwanda, speaking during the APAC launch in Kigali, Rwanda

Photo: © IGIHE

Luther Anukur, IUCN Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa speaking during the launch of APAC in Kigali, Rwanda

Photo: © IGIHE

AWF CEO, Kaddu Sebunya, speaking at the launch of APAC in Kigali Rwanda

Photo: © IGIHE

The congress which will be held from 7th – 12th March 2022 will be convened by the Government of Rwanda, the International Union for Conservation of Nature - World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN-WCPA) and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) in collaboration with partners.

Speaking at the relaunch event, the Chief Guest Dr Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya, the Minister of Environment – Republic of Rwanda said: “Having been an IUCN Member since 2016, Rwanda is very proud to take up the global conservation leadership mantle and become the first African country to host the African Protected Area Congress. The Government of Rwanda recognizes the role of protected and conserved areas in ensuring the conservation of nature, sustaining ecosystem services and promoting sustainable development. We are indeed hopeful that through these efforts and deliberations obtained through the congress, Rwanda and the rest of Africa will be on the right trajectory towards recovery of our protected and conserved areas.”

Key conservation organizations and development partners have been actively engaged in the planning process for APAC, the first of its kind continent-wide gathering of African leaders, citizens, businesses and interest groups to discuss the role of protected areas in conserving nature and promoting sustainable development in Africa.

Deliberations convened around the themes Protected and conserved areas, People and Biodiversity aim to generate pathways that build and empower the current and the next generation of leaders to realize an African future where wildlife and wildlands are valued as an asset that contributes to development.

Luther Anukur, IUCN Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa said: "We all know that natural ecosystems are in decline. Major habitats are disappearing at a rate never known before. The current rate of species extinction is much higher than experienced before. APAC aims to underscore the fact that protected areas represent an efficient means for protecting our planets rich biodiversity in line with our common global pursuits in the Convention of Biodiversity and ambition in the decade for the restoration."

“One major lesson we have drawn from the past year is that overnight transformational change is possible. A different world, a different economy is suddenly dawning. Through this continental partnership, Africa will be able to present a unified front towards delivering a lasting balance between people, prosperity and our planetary boundaries. African Wildlife Foundation takes great pride in the central role we are playing to raise an African constituency in conservation and this congress is one of the major steps towards achieving this,” said AWF CEO, Kaddu Sebunya.

Through the congress, all partners hope to achieve African leadership commitment towards creating a unified African voice in conservation that will value African people and nature through effective protected areas.

LINKS:

Africa Protected Areas Congress Website