President Mnangagwa officially opens COP15 conference

President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is today expected to officially open the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15).

The conference kicked off in Victoria Falls this Wednesday, with delegates from across the globe deliberating on draft resolutions that will shape the convention’s priorities and actions over the next three years.

COP15 is poised to adopt the Victoria Falls Declaration, placing wetland restoration at the centre of global efforts to mitigate climate change.

A cornerstone of this declaration will be the proposed creation of a Global Wetland Restoration Fund, which aims to mobilise resources for
critical restoration initiatives worldwide.

Day one of the conference focused on regional consultations, where member states met to align their positions ahead of the plenary sessions.

“On day one, we hold several regional meetings. The Africa group is meeting, the Oceania group is meeting, Asia, the Americas, including North America, the Caribbean and Latin America and Europe as well.

“These meetings are aimed at reviewing draft resolutions. As 172 contracting parties, we are working to determine what will be discussed at the plenary and what our priorities should be for the upcoming triennium.

“Management of wetland systems must reflect global connectivity, such as bird flyways that link regions across continents,” Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Secretary General, Dr Musonda Mumba.

The Africa group, in particular, shared insights into their priorities for the plenary discussions.

“In the Africa meeting, we reviewed several draft resolutions to be presented in the plenary. We focused on updating the ecological status of Ramsar Sites to ensure they remain on the list.

“We also discussed the Ramsar Information Sheets, supporting a six-year cycle for updates and addressing budgetary issues, recommending a 10% increase in contributions from contracting parties to enhance the Convention’s activities and support,” Kenya alternate head of delegation, Anastancia Wanjiku Mwaura said.

Zimbabwe reaffirmed its commitment to designate five additional Ramsar Sites by 2030 and to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded wetlands.

Running from July 21 to 31, the conference has drawn nearly 3000 delegates to the Wetland City of Victoria Falls.

ZBC