Delegates to the first African Protected Areas Congress, held in Kigali, Rwanda, adopted the Kigali Call to Action on Saturday, pledging nations to increase their investments in environmental preservation. In order to examine the opportunities and challenges in the protection of nature and animals throughout Africa, Rwanda, the International Union for protection of Nature, and the African animals Foundation organized the conference, which took place from July 18–23. There were more than 2300 delegates in attendance, representing nations, businesses, indigenous communities, and environmental organizations. A Pan-African Conservation Trust was established as one of the initiatives, and African nations were urged to support its creation.
In order to finance all 8,500 of Africa’s protected areas indefinitely, a $200 billion pan-African trust fund would be established. The Kigali Call to Action, which commits nations to allocating 1% of their GDP to funding biodiversity initiatives and expanding partnerships between the public and private sectors, was adopted by delegates as Congress came to an end. Additionally, the Call to Action demanded that local communities’ and indigenous peoples’ rights be strengthened.
