CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE AFRICA PROTECTED AREAS CONGRESS (APAC) NOW OPEN
Various Stakeholders including Youth Groups, Indigenous People and Local Communities, Private Sector, Women, Governments and Government agencies, are invited to submit proposals to be part of the Africa Protected Areas Congress
Nairobi, Kenya August 24th, 2021…The Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) is looking for key players in the biodiversity and conservation sector to submit proposals to participate in the Congress scheduled to take place from 7th– 12th March 2022 in Kigali Rwanda. Some of the key stakeholders that the APAC organizing committee is targeting to be part of the Congress includes governments, and government agencies, development agencies, private sector, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, Youth, Key interest groups and women.
APAC, which was relaunched in April 2021, 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 key conservation organizations and development partners.
“Economic development and conservation must rely on each other for prosperity. The main challenge African nations face is that economic growth comes too often at a cost to Protected Areas. Therefore, it is very important for us to have government participation in APAC and are thus very glad that the Government of Rwanda is playing a very instrumental role in the convening of this Congress,” said Africa Wildlife Foundation CEO Kaddu Sebunya.
“African governments need to come together and discuss protection of biodiversity in tandem with economic development. One of the key challenges we face as governments is to mobilize enough required funding and resources to deal with the biodiversity and protected areas management at large. A crucial point of discussion of this Congress will be funding and ways to diversify financing of wildlife economy activities, ultimately to support sustainability,” added Rwanda Minister of Environment, Dr. Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya.
The Call for Proposals is designed to attract contributions from interested groups from across Africa, which focus on the APAC objectives, streams, and cross cutting themes. It is open to all who have an interest in contributing to the success of APAC. APAC will focus on applications from Africa and can be submitted in English, French, and Portuguese.
There are various types of events that interested groups can apply for. The various events include: –
- High level dialogues
- Conservation Clinics
- Knowledge Cafés.
- Technical Workshops
- Conservations Campus (capacity building sessions)
- Pavilions
- Social events
To view the instructions on how to submit proposals and selection criteria, applicants can visit https://apacongress.africa/call-for-proposals/.
“We hope to receive proposals and thereafter have representation from all countries across the continent at the Congress. We are encouraging governments to support the participation of key stakeholders from each country. Our collective effort will contribute to achieving the vision of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 of “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in international arena,” remarked Luther Anukur, IUCN Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
The Call for Proposals is expected to close on September 31st, 2021.
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About The Africa Protected Areas Congress
The IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) is the first ever continent-wide gathering of African leaders, citizens, and interest groups to discuss the role of protected areas in conserving nature, safeguarding Africa’s iconic wildlife, delivering vital life-supporting ecosystem services, promoting sustainable development while conserving Africa’s cultural heritage and traditions.
About IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas
IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) is the world’s premier network of protected area expertise, administered by IUCN’s Global Programme on Protected Areas. WCPA works by helping governments and others plan protected areas and integrate them into all sectors; by providing strategic advice to policy makers; by strengthening capacity and investment in protected areas; and by convening the diverse constituency of protected area stakeholders to address challenging issues.
About African Wildlife Foundation
The African Wildlife Foundation is the primary advocate for the protection of wildlife and wild lands as an essential part of a modern and prosperous Africa. Founded in 1961 to focus on Africa’s conservation needs, we articulate a uniquely African vision, bridge science and public policy, and demonstrate the benefits of conservation to ensure the survival of the continent’s wildlife and wild lands.
For more information visit the APAC website at: https://apacongress.africa/
For media inquiries and interviews kindly contact Valentine Njoroge at VNjoroge@apacongress.africa
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