The Finnish Wildlife Agency is presented with the 2018 CIC Markhor Award

The Second Wildlife Forum took place on 21 November 2018, on the sidelines of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

This event was organized under the theme, “Sustainable Use for Conservation and Livelihoods,” by the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW), a voluntary partnership of 14 international organizations working to promote the sustainable use and conservation of wildlife.

The Forum brought together stakeholders from across the globe to discuss their shared experiences and seek creative solutions on issues related to the health and security of people and wildlife, the wild meat crisis, and the unsustainable use of wildlife.

Participants engaged in four key sessions:

• People and Wildlife: Health and Security;
• Sharing Wild Meat: Resolving Conflicts between Subsistence and Commercial Uses;
• From Sites in Africa to Shelves in Asia: Solutions to Unsustainable Wildlife Use and Illegal Trade; and
• Wildlife and People in 2050: A Vision for Sustainable Wildlife Management.

Discussions from the Forum will feed into the priorities on sustainable wildlife management for the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework. The summary from the meeting, with key messages will be forwarded to the Nature and Culture Summit held under the auspices of the Joint Programme of Work between the CBD and UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the Links between Biological and Cultural Diversity (2001-2020).

After a lunch break, a ceremony took place to launch an animation video, “Together we are Stronger,” illustrating CPW’s work on sustainable wildlife management. The video can be viewed here.

During the event, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation’s biennial Markhor Award was presented to the Finnish Wildlife Agency’s “LIFE+ Return of Rural Wetlands” project that aims to ensure that wetlands remain a part of the Finnish “living landscape” in the future and do not fall behind as “lost memories.” Cristiana Paşca Palmer, Executive Secretary, CBD, presided over the ceremony.

The meeting concluded with a reception, where Hungary announced its intention to host the next CPW Wildlife Forum in Budapest, Hungary in 2021.

Opening Session

Delegates during the event

Leah Wanambwa-Naess, African Union Commission

David Cooper, CBD Deputy Executive Secretary and CPW Chair

Daniel Kobei, International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity

Sheila Wertz-Kanounnikoff, FAO and CPW Secretariat

Panel Discussions Throughout the Day

Session I - People and Wildlife: Health and Security (L-R): Marthin Kasaona, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Namibia; Moderator Cristina Romanelli, CBD Secretariat; Suneetha Subramanian, United Nations University; Raja Sharma Rymbai, Indigenous Terra Madre Network Advisory Board Member (Southeast Asia), Slow Food; Catherine Machalaba, EcoHealth Alliance; and Jim Desmond, EcoHealth Alliance

Session II - Sharing Wild Meat: Resolving Conflicts between Subsistence and Commercial Uses (L-R): Moderator John Fa, Center for International Forestry Research; Sarah Baker Ferguson, TRAFFIC Viet Nam; Philippe Mayaux, European Commission; and Shane Mahoney, Conservation Visions

Session III - From Sites in Africa to Shelves in Asia: Solutions to Unsustainable Wildlife Use and Illegal Trade (L-R): Klemens Riha, Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); Bennett Mbapeua Kahuure, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Namibia; Tjavarekua Elmarie Tjijahura, Women for Conservation, Namibia; Leah Wanambwa-Naess, African Union Commission; David Morgan, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); Phil Franks, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED); Taye Teferi, TRAFFIC; and Roland Melisch, TRAFFIC

Session IV - Wildlife and People in 2050: A Vision for Sustainable Wildlife Management (L-R): Fabiana Spinelli, CBD and Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, Minister for Environment and Energy, Costa Rica

Launch of the Report: "Toward a Sustainable, Participatory, and Inclusive Wild Meat Sector"

The report "Toward a Sustainable, Participatory, and Inclusive Wild Meat Sector" is launched during the event

John Fa, Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

Markhor Award Ceremony

The Markhor Award for outstanding conservation performance

Tamás Marghescu, Director General, International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC)

Mark Ryan, Deputy Director General, CIC

Cristiana Paşca Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary, presents the Markhor Award to the Finnish Wildlife Agency

Closing Session

Panel speakers during the closing session

Cristiana Paşca Palmer, CBD Executive Secretary

Hamdallah Zedan, Former CBD Executive Secretary, Representative of the Egypt COP presidency

Sheila Wertz-Kanounnikoff, FAO and CPW Secretariat

Roland Melisch, TRAFFIC and CPW Vice-Chair

Sheila Wertz-Kanounnikoff, FAO, on behalf of CPW, presents key messages of the Forum to Hamdallah Zedan, Former CBD Executive Secretary, Representative of the Egypt COP presidency

Evening Reception

Participants gather for the evening reception

Tamás Marghescu, Director General, CIC

Roland Melisch, TRAFFIC and CPW Vice-Chair

Budapest, Hungary, is announced as the next host for the CPW Wildlife Forum in 2021