Namibia supports Africa Keystone Protected Area Partnership for sustainable conservation

Statement by Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, president of the Republic of Namibia, at the Africa Keystone Protected Area Partnership reception for ICCF African Wildlife Foundation, New York City, 22 September 2025

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Good evening. It is an honour to join you tonight at this important gathering, and to lend Namibia’s strong support to the Africa Keystone Protected Area Partnership.

As a former minister of environment and tourism, I personally relate deeply to the issues within your remit. This evening affords us the opportunity to share a common vision grounded in the intersection between conservation, community and development. 

Africa has long led the way in protecting nature; not just for ourselves, but for future generations. The Namibian Constitution mandated the government to develop policies and laws to ensure sustainable utilisation of our biodiversity for use by the current and future generations.

Today, over 46% of Namibia’s land is under conservation. This includes national parks, communal conservancies, community forests, and tourism concessions. It is a remarkable achievement, made possible only because Namibians believe the co-existence of environmental protection and development to be at the heart of our conservation efforts.

Our national parks – including five of the 162 Keystone Protected Areas – are fully integrated with more than 100 community-run conservancies and forests. Together, these protect vast and diverse landscapes stretching from the Zambezi River in the north-east of the country to the Skeleton Coast in the west. And they do more than conserving biodiversity; they bring jobs, revenue, and dignity to the communities who live with wildlife every day, often exposed to the risks of human-wildlife conflict. Thus, enabling our people to take care of our biodiversity.

Namibia’s story is proof that conservation in Africa is not in conflict with economic progress – it is a key enabler. Without our protected areas, we risk losing more than wildlife. We risk losing the ecosystems that support 70 million people across the continent, the rainfall that feeds our farms, and the nature-based economies that drive our rural development.

That is why the Keystone Protected Area Partnership matters. This partnership aligns fully with Namibia’s model and our values. It recognises that to conserve Africa’s natural heritage, we must unite African governments, communities, donors, and non-governmental organisations in a shared, lasting commitment.

Namibia is proud to join this partnership. We see it as an essential mechanism to deliver on the Global Biodiversity Framework, the African Union Biodiversity Strategy, the Kigali Call to Action, and our shared 30×30 goals.

Let us be clear: now is the moment. As Africa’s population grows and development accelerates, we must act decisively to protect what cannot be replaced.

Let us ensure that the next generation inherits a continent rich in life, rich in opportunity, and rich in hope. Hence, the need for the sustainable utilisation of our biodiversity.

I thank you.

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