Vice President Wina expected in Botswana

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Vice-President Inonge Wina before a lecture at Columbia University on 11 March, 2015. PHOTO | CHIBAULA D. SILWAMBA | ZAMBIA UN MISSION - Photo Credit CHIBAULA D. SILWAMBA - Lusakavoice.com
Vice-President Inonge Wina - Photo Credit CHIBAULA D. SILWAMBA - Lusakavoice.com

Vice President Inonge Wina is this afternoon expected to arrive in Chobe district in Botswana’s Kasane town to attend the international conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT).

According to the programme obtained by ZANIS from the IWT conference secretariat, Zambia’s vice President is expected to arrive in Kasane town (Chobe District) ahead of the official opening of the one day high level conference.

The IWT conference is a follow up to the London conference which was hosted by the United Kingdom (UK) last year.

The London conference brought together heads of governments, representatives of heads of governments and regional economic integration organisations who noted with grave concern the rise in the illicit trade in wildlife.

During the London declaration, delegates called for political commitment to combat the scourge of illicit trade in wildlife and agreed on a number of actions aimed at eradicating poaching.

The London declaration primarily focused on eradicating the market for illegal wildlife products, eliminating demand for illegal wildlife products, destroying seized wildlife products and regulating the international trade in wildlife.

Delegates also proposed actions to criminalise poaching and wildlife trafficking and related crimes.

The Kasane high level conference will bring together heads of states, regional integration bodies and inter-governmental organisations to review the progress made in the implementation of the actions agreed as part of the London declaration.

It was anticipated that more countries will commit themselves to the declaration in the run-up to the Kasane conference

The Kasane IWT conference will be opened by President of Botswana Seretese Khama Ian Khama on the 25th March 2015.

The conference will aim at maintaining momentum against commitments made by international leaders in London last year in tackling wildlife poaching.

The London 2014 conference was convened in response to the growing crisis in wildlife poaching while the Kasane 2015 conference will aim at exploring new ways of tackling poaching.

Last year’s London conference was attended by 41 leaders and ten international organisations.

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