SADC has called for an end to environmental crimes and crimes against wildlife. Speaking at the Summit on Wildlife Crimes, held in Arusha, Tanzania on 7-8 November, 2014, SADC Executive Secretary H.E. Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax said:
“We should therefore take all measures to contain environmental crimes and no one should be allowed to stop us from achieving this goal. It is time for unity and solidarity against environmental crimes. The same unity that has given us a place at the negotiations for the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the same unity and solidarity that earned us political freedom, this same unity will be our pillar in addressing environmental crime with the support of our partners, including the international community”.
She said the Objectives of SADC, as stipulated in the SADC Treaty, include the promotion of sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development that will ensure poverty alleviation with the ultimate objective of its eradication, enhance the standard and quality of life of the people of Southern Africa and support the socially disadvantaged through regional integration. The SADC Treaty also calls for the sustainable management of natural resources and effective protection of the environment.
Insert photo shows Dr. Tax at the Summit
