By Wallace Mawire
The Republic of Zimbabwe is hosting the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) International Conference and Summit of Heads of State and Government, from 19 to 23 May 2025 in Harare..
The summit is being held under the theme: “Transfrontier Conservation Areas-25 years of cooperation for regional integration and sustainable development.” TFCAs are collaborative conservation efforts that span across national borders, designed to promote biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of resources, and eco-tourism.
The initiatives hold significant importance for Zimbabwe and other SADC Member States covered by TFCAs, as they not only safeguard vital ecosystems and wildlife but also contribute to economic growth, enhance regional cooperation, and empower local communities. This pivotal summit will bring together delegates from across the region, including Heads of State and Government from SADC Member States, traditional leaders, conservation partners, international organisations representatives, and experts from relevant sectors.
The primary objectives of the conference and summit are to strengthen political commitment to the TFCA Programme, promote investments in TFCAs, and enhance cross-sectoral integration for sustainable development. The Joint Action “NaturAfrica / Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Management in the SADC (C-NRM) Programme”, co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is supporting the SADC TFCA International Conference and Summit and will actively participate in key sessions.
For many years, the development of TFCAs has been a major focus area of cooperation between SADC, the EU and Germany. The Joint Action builds on over 20 years of support to TFCAs through both technical and financial cooperation. As part of the conference programme, the Joint Action will host a session focused on Tourism Development in TFCAs and SADC, as well as one on Disaster Risk Reduction.
Expected outcomes from the summit include the development of an action plan to support the SADC TFCA Programme, new binding agreements for establishing additional TFCAs, the signing of Joint Management Frameworks, and sustainable financing agreements between SADC Heads of State and Government and International Cooperating Partners. Additionally, there will be a review of ongoing efforts to implement the SADC TFCA model of cooperation, reinforcing partnerships among SADC Member States.
Through the summit, SADC and TFCA partners aim to strengthen their collective commitment to preserving Southern Africa’s rich biodiversity and to creating a sustainable future for generations to come, especially for the SADC citizens, who are essential to the success of these conservation efforts and their beneficiary.
SADC is an organisation of 16 Member States established in 1980 as the Southern African Development Coordinating Conference (SADCC) and later, in August,1992 transformed into the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The mission of SADC is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient, productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security; so that the region emerges as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the world economy.
Member States are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. EU in Brief: The European Union (EU) is a unique economic and political union between 27 European countries. The objectives of the EU are to safeguard peace and to ensure economic and social progress through the creation of a European internal market and the strengthening of social cohesion. Over the years, the EU saw its competences expanded through successive treaties.
While its vocation was initially primarily economic with the creation of a huge single market, the European Union has become an eminently political entity. From six founding countries or Member States in the 1950s, it has grown into a Union of 27 countries with a population of almost 450 million people, expanding over nearly the whole European continent.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security. As a federally owned enterprise, GIZ implement projects on behalf of the German Government – in particular the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and other public and private sector clients in around 120 countries worldwide. GIZ works with partners to develop effective solutions that offer people better prospects and sustainably improve their living conditions.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been operating in Botswana and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region on behalf of the German Government for many years. GIZ supports regional and national partners in implementing sustainable development initiatives, with a focus on areas such as climate change, natural resource management, regional economic integration, governance, and peace and security. In close cooperation with the SADC Secretariat and its Member States, GIZ works to strengthen regional cooperation and promote inclusive, risk-informed development across Southern Africa.
