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Endorsement of the African Elephant Action Plan (Rev.COP14)

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Table of Contents

  1. Preamble
  2. Paragraph 1.
  4. Paragraph 3.
  5. Paragraph 4.

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23 Oct, 2017
17 Feb, 2024 en 23 Oct, 2017 en

Endorsement of the African Elephant Action Plan (Rev.COP14)

Noting Resolution Conf. 16.9 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) inviting other biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements, and in particular the contribution that CMS can make, to support the implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan through effective partnerships with African Elephant Range States,Also noting Activity B13 of the Joint Work Programme of CITES and CMS 2015-2020 approved by CITES and CMS, requesting the CITES and CMS Secretariats to ensure connectivity with the African Elephant Action Plan and the associated African Elephant Fund,Acknowledging Strategy 6.2 of the African Elephant Action Plan to use existing frameworks to promote cooperation on elephant conservation and management, and Activity 6.2.3 to effectively implement the provisions of CMS and other multilateral environmental agreements relevant to elephant conservation and management,Further acknowledging that the African Elephant Action Plan contains many conservation provisions that align with the purpose and goals of the Convention and about 75 per cent of African Elephants are part of transboundary populations, requiring a cooperative approach to their management, restoration, and maintenance, andRecalling the Memorandum of Understanding concerning Conservation Measures for the West African Populations of the African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) agreed to in 2005,The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
1.Endorses the African Elephant Action Plan (2023), contained in the Annex to this Resolution as the principal strategy adopted by the African Elephant Range States under the aegis of CITES for the conservation of African Elephants including on matters relevant to the CMS;
2.Instructs the Secretariat to actively exercise its role as an ex officio member of the Steering Committee of the African Elephant Fund, and to:
a)cooperate with the CITES Secretariat and the United Nations Environment Programme to promote fundraising for the implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan as part of overall fundraising initiatives, including exploration of new and innovative funding instruments, such as payment for ecosystem services attributable to the role of elephants in the ecosystem;
b)explore opportunities for partnerships with ongoing projects and programmes of CITES and the United Nations Environment Programme to support the African Elephant Range States in the implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan to achieve CMS objectives;
c)support the implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan through collaboration with African Elephant Range States to achieve CMS objectives;
d)at the request of the African Elephant Fund Steering Committee, invite the Scientific Council (subject to its terms of reference) to provide advice on specific activities relating to the African Elephant Action Plan;
e)report to the Conference of the Parties at each meeting on relevant actions taken to implement this resolution;
3.Urges African Elephant Range States to make full use of the funding opportunities provided through the African Elephant Fund, and to explore the use of new and innovative funding instruments, to support implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan, such as payment for ecosystem services attributable to the role of elephants in the ecosystem; and
4.Encourages Parties, donors, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders to support the implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan and invites them to provide financial contributions to the African Elephant Fund for the implementation of CMS relevant activities under the African Elephant Action Plan.