We, the Ministers responsible for the coordination of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) convened in Livingstone, Zambia for our scheduled 14th Ministerial Committee meeting, on 17th October 2024, to reflect on how our joint efforts in the development and management of KAZA TFCA are progressing.
Present at the meeting were the following
- Angola Hon. Marcio De Jesus Lopes Daniel, Minister of Tourism Represented by the Secretary of State Dr. Hélder Jonas Leonardo Marcelino.
- Botswana Hon. Wilhemina N. T Makwinja, Minister Of Environment And Tourism Represented by Dr Cyril Taolo, Government Liaison Officer for The Gaborone Declaration for Sustainability in Africa.
- Namibia Hon. Pohamba Shifeta, Minister of Environment, Forestry And Tourism
- Zambia Hon. Rodney Sikumba, Minister of Tourism, Current Chair, Kaza TFCA Ministerial Committee
- Zimbabwe Hon. Sthembiso G. Nyoni, Minister of Environment,Climate And Wildlife
This was the first Ministerial Committee meeting held since the successful Kavango Zambezi Heads of State and Government Summit held on 31st May 2024 in Livingstone, Zambia.
In line with its mandate, the Ministerial Committee considered for approval and noted several issues relevant to the further development of the KAZA TFCA.
The Ministerial Committee approved four (4) of the following Strategies and frameworks
- Livelihoods Diversification Strategy which provides a framework to guide programming and implementation of livelihoods in KAZA TFCA for greater impact across the landscape.
- Livelihoods focused climate risk assessment – an important tool in assessing the vulnerability of people, including biodiversity, tourism and livelihoods interventions for enhanced climate resilience and adaptation in the landscape.
- Management strategy for forestry conservation – a framework document with priority forest related interventions for programming and implementation across the KAZA TFCA.
- Strategic framework for bird conservation – a framework strategy, which recognises the important bird areas and target bird species, their vulnerabilities and required conservation and other actions for their ecological integrity and survival.
Partnerships and cooperation
- Memoranda of Understanding with the World -Wide Fund for Nature, the Zambezi Water Course Commission (ZAMCOM), and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland.- The renewal of the MoU with WWF will strengthen existing collaboration in the landscape in areas of mutual interest.
- The MoU with the ZAMCOM will advance and deepen ongoing collaboration between the two institutions in programming and interventions within the portion of the Zambezi River Basin in KAZA TFCA, in line with the KAZA TFCA Treaty, and the SADC Protocol on Transboundary Watercourses.
- The MoU with the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will facilitate the Biodiverse Landscape Funds programme in the KAZA TFCA landscape to contribute to meeting objectives on poverty reduction, biodiversity loss, and climate change action at a local and transboundary scale, and meet international commitments under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Finance and Administration
- Unqualified financial statements for 2022 and commended this positive trend for the KAZA TFCA Secretariat.
- KAZA TFCA financial policies and procedures manual in line with current international best practice, and the establishment of the Finance Working Group, to provide a collective technical platform for guidance and oversight on financial matters.
- Five-year operational budget for the KAZA TFCA Secretariat and the proposals therein for strengthening the operations and capitalisation of the Secretariat.
- KAZA TFCA Secretariat employment quota system which seeks to ensure equitable representation of Partner States in the Secretariat.
The Ministerial Committee also noted the following:
- The status and updates on the KAZA Fund and the Partner State contributions to the Fund, with reaffirmations for the continued and increased contributions to the Fund.
- Botswana’s allocation of land for the construction of the KAZA Secretariat Offices in Kasane, Chobe District. The Ministerial Committee thanked the Republic of Botswana’s efforts in this regard and appealed for concerted fundraising efforts to speed up construction of the Secretariat Office’s.
- The Ministerial Committee further thanks the Republic of Botswana for the recognition of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area as an international organisation in Botswana, and the conferment of Immunities and Privileges onto the Secretariat.
- The planned next steps to activate the Kavango Zambezi tourism destination brand following its launch at the KAZA Summit in Livingstone.
- The pipeline investments into the KAZA TFCA by identified donors and called for speedy programming and negotiations for the earmarked projects to start delivering the desired priority interventions.
Regarding the KAZA Heads of State and Government Summit, the Ministerial Committee:
- congratulated the Republic of Zambia for successfully hosting the inaugural KAZA Heads of State and Government Summit;
- recollected the Summit Communique and called for stronger partnerships, enhanced fundraising and inclusive stakeholder engagement across the KAZA TFCA landscape for speedy implementation of the communique directives; and
- The Chair of the Ministerial Meeting Hon. Rodney M. Sikumba expressed gratitude to the all the Ministers and dignitaries for attending the meeting at for their presence and political will in
Done on 17TH October 2024
Livingstone, Southern Province, Zambia