SADC officials meet to advance regional integration on environment and tourism

Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat deputy executive secretary for regional integration Angèle N’Tumba in Harare, Zimbabwe, on 19 May 2025

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It is my honour to welcome you all to this meeting of senior officials responsible for environment, natural resources, and tourism, held in preparation for the upcoming SADC Joint Ministerial Meeting of the Committee of Ministers for Environment, Natural Resources, and Tourism, scheduled for 21 May.

At the outset, I wish to express our sincere gratitude to ambassador Tadeous Chifamba, permanent secretary of the ministry of environment, climate and wildlife of Zimbabwe, and chairperson of the SADC senior officials, for the warm hospitality and for hosting this important meeting in this great and beautiful city of Harare.

Similarly, I extend my sincere appreciation to all senior officials for making time to attend this meeting despite your demanding schedules. Your dedication and invaluable contributions to the region’s sustainable development are deeply valued by the secretariat.

It is exciting that this meeting takes place as we celebrate 25 years of transfrontier conservation areas – a pivotal moment to honour SADC regional cooperation in conserving our vast natural capital and immense potential to protect and use the biodiversity that forms a primary source of economic, social and cultural development, as well as regional integration for present and future generations.

As we begin this meeting, we have a fully packed agenda ahead of us, which will set the stage for the upcoming joint meeting of the Committee of SADC Ministers for Environment, Natural Resources, and Tourism. Over the next two days, your meeting will review and finalise key decisions in several critical sectors of environment, natural resources and tourism, all of which are integral to advancing SADC’s regional integration and development. 

Your role as a clearing house for the upcoming ministerial meeting is vital to ensure that these issues are thoroughly discussed, analysed and consensus built, so that recommendations presented to the joint ministers’ meeting are a product of a comprehensive and thorough discussion by the senior officials.

This meeting will address several key areas in the agenda, including:

On wildlife and transfrontier conservation areas, your meeting will consider progress on the implementation of the SADC Wildlife-Based Economy Strategy, the SADC Law Enforcement and Anti-Poaching Strategy, and collaboration on vulture conservation. These discussions will also include updates on the implementation of the TFCA programme, including through the SADC TFCA Financing Facility, and the continued work on enhancing regional cooperation to safeguard our shared biodiversity. Additionally, your meeting will discuss progress in the implementation of the SADC Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Engagement Strategy, including our preparations for the upcoming CITES CoP20, to be held in November 2025 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This discussion is important as it will ensure that SADC is well-prepared to engage with the global community on wildlife conservation issues at this important international gathering.

It is essential that we collectively prepare for this global event to ensure that SADC’s voices are heard, and our regional priorities are addressed on the global stage. This includes not only addressing issues related to wildlife conservation but also ensuring the effective management of endangered species and strengthening our collective position on global wildlife trade and conservation.

On forestry, your meeting will review progress in the implementation of the SADC Forestry Strategy, including the implementation of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation initiatives and other forestry programmes under the strategy to support sustainable development across the region.

On the tourism sector, your meeting will mainly focus on progress in the implementation of the SADC Tourism Programme, including the operationalisation of the tourism working groups and Tourism Private Sector Regional Platform, the SADC Tourism UNIVISA pilot project, progress on the Air Access Study, development of the SADC Tourism Disaster Risk Management and Communication Crisis Strategy, and the development of a SADC TFCA Tourism Marketing Strategy.

Regarding environmental issues, your meeting will deliberate on key aspects of climate change, land degradation, marine pollution response, and the circular economy, as well as the SADC Great Green Wall Initiative and the Blue Economy Strategy, and implementation of key multilateral environmental agreements, among others. We will also explore key aspects of financing mechanisms, including the Green Climate Fund, carbon markets, and other sources of financing to ensure that our regional initiatives continue to thrive despite ongoing global financial challenges. We will discuss how these strategies can be better aligned with regional integration goals espoused in the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (2020–2030) and the SADC Vision 2050, ensuring that the SADC region is resilient to environmental challenges.

The areas of discussion highlighted are fully aligned with the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (2020–2030), serving as key drivers for advancing regional integration efforts. These deliberations will undoubtedly reinforce our collective commitment to environmental conservation, sustainable resource utilisation, and tourism development, ensuring a healthy and thriving planet for present and future generations.

In conclusion, I encourage you to engage in this meeting with a spirit of collaboration, ensuring that the recommendations prepared for the ministers will strengthen our region and pave the way for greater prosperity for all our people.

Finally, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to international cooperating partners for their continued support in the implementation of our regional work in the areas of environment, natural resources and tourism.

With these remarks, it is now my humble honour to invite Ambassador Tadeous Chifamba, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife of the Republic of Zimbabwe and chairperson of the SADC senior officials, to deliver the opening remarks.

Thank you very much! 

Merci beaucoup! Muito obrigado! Asante sana! Tatenda! Siyabonga!

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