Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme in the spotlight before OACPS Subcommittee

Project Coordinator of the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme, Hubert Boulet, presented the programme at the Organisation of African, Caribbean and (OACPS) Subcommittee on Sustainable Development meeting chaired by the Ambassador of Côte D’Ivoire to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union, His Excellency Abou Dosso.

Mr Boulet explained the project’s unique approach to the nexus between biodiversity conservation, food security and rural development in the thirteen countries where it is active. He also briefed the Subcommittee on resources related to the impact of COVID-19, such as the programme’s recently-launched white paper and policy brief: “Build back better in a post-COVID-19 world: Reducing future wildlife-borne spillover of disease to humans”.

FAO Brussels Director Rodrigo de Lapuerta emphasized the importance of SWM as a strategic project and a major highlight of the cooperation between FAO and the OACPS.

Over its seven-year implementation, the SWM Programme will be developing innovative, collaborative and new approaches which can be scaled up to conserve wild animals and protect ecosystems, while improving the livelihoods of indigenous peoples and rural communities who depend on these resources. The project is active in Guyana, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Madagascar, Chad, Mali, Senegal, Egypt and Sudan.

Meeting participants included the Chair of the OACPS Committee of Ambassadors and Ambassador of Tanzania to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union, Jestas Abuok Nyamanga.