The cooperation between ANAW and UNEP has seen three session of the Animal Welfare Conference; the first and second taking place in Nairobi, Kenya; with third taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The fourth conference was to take place in Accra, Ghana. However, Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fourth session was held virtually and hopefully hold the fifth session in Ghana in 2021.
During the third conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, there were calls on action to have more impact. The permanent representative of Ethiopia to the CPR promised to help table a resolution on Animal welfare to UNEA should the conference present him with a strong proposal. There has been follow up meetings on this with the permanent representative of Ethiopia and the High Commissioner of Ghana.
The Africa Animal Welfare Conference is an annual conference that brings together representatives of governments, civil society, academia, business and state agencies from Africa to discuss issues that cut across animal welfare, wildlife and environmental conservation in the context of sustainable development.
The theme of this year’s conference wasAnimal welfare, wildlife and environmental conservation for sustainable development in Africa: Enhancing nature-based solutions.
This theme was set to be in tandem with theme of UNEA: Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The discussion on a UNEA resolution on animal welfare took the centerstage among other discussions during the conference. This came at an opportune time where COVID-19, a virus that was believed to have bread from zoonotic background was raging havoc across the globe.
