Arusha. The 14th Governing Council Meeting of Parties to the Lusaka Agreement is set to commence in Arusha on May 8, 2025, with Tanzania playing host to this high-level gathering focused on transboundary wildlife and forest conservation.
The announcement was made on May 7, 2025 by the minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Pindi Chana, during a press briefing in Arusha. The meeting will be held at the Gran Meliá Hotel.
“We are gathered here today to call upon the media to help relay this important message to the Tanzanian public about this major and unique conservation meeting scheduled to take place in our country, specifically here in the tourism city of Arusha,” said Dr Chana.
She noted that the Governing Council convenes biennially, with the last meeting having taken place in Zambia in March 2022.
The Lusaka Agreement, established in 1994, was created to strengthen regional cooperation among African countries in combating poaching and the illegal cross-border trade in wildlife and forest products.
Tanzania became a party to the Agreement in 1999 and has since been actively involved in its implementation, working alongside other member states including Congo-Brazzaville, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, and Zambia.
“Through this Agreement, Tanzania has benefited in various ways, including the exchange of intelligence related to wildlife and forest crimes,” she said.
Dr Chana added that the country has also made strides in tracking and disrupting wildlife and forest crime networks, carrying out joint operations and patrols, and offering specialised training to curb criminal activities in the sector.
The 14th Council Meeting will, among other things, review progress on the implementation of resolutions adopted during the 13th Governing Council Meeting. It is also expected to approve a new five-year strategic plan for the Agreement (2025–2030).
Significantly, Tanzania will assume the presidency of the Governing Council from Kenya for the next two years, a role that will be formalised during the meeting.
The Minister highlighted that hosting this meeting in Arusha presents Tanzania with an opportunity to showcase its tourism potential, promote trade, and reaffirm its commitment to regional and global efforts to tackle wildlife crime and illegal trade in forest products.
In accordance with the Council’s Rules of Procedure, the meeting is expected to bring together Ministers responsible for Natural Resources and the Environment from 19 African countries.
Representatives from international organisations such as UNEP, UNODC, UNDP, INTERPOL WCWG, and the Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) will also attend.
On the national front, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, through its affiliated institutions under the National Bureau—the implementing agency of the Lusaka Agreement—will participate in the event.
