Wildlife resources in Southern Africa have the potential to affect the region’s economic development and environmental protection – two primary concerns of SADC. Therefore, SADC passed its Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement on 18th August 1999 to establish a common framework for conservation and sustainable use of wildlife in the region.
In signing the Protocol, Member States agree to policy, administrative, and legal measures for promoting conservation and sustainable wildlife practices within their jurisdictions. Member States agree to collaborate with one another on common approaches for achieving the goals of international agreements on wildlife. The Protocol advocates Member States harmonise legal instruments for wildlife, establish management programmes for wildlife, and create a regional database of wildlife status and management. It also establishes institutional arrangements for the Protocol’s implementation, specifying committees and units, a schedule of meetings, and each division’s functions.
