On October 23rd the International Alliance hosted an online event by the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme on the joint Alliance-SWM project to strengthen Sustainable Wildlife Governance in Namibia, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Representing the European Union, Mr. Aymeric Roussel introduced the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme – a multi-year EU initiative launched in 2018 in response to the accelerating loss of wildlife and biodiversity. Led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in partnership with CIFOR-CIRAF, CIRAD, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and local stakeholders, the SWM Programme integrates wildlife conservation with food security and development within a community rights-based framework.
The crucial role of legal work was highlighted as it promotes scaling the learnings from field projects and makes them accessible to a broad public by fostering synergies between science and law. Legal frameworks can help ensure that practical experiences on the ground are translated into effective policy and legislation—an essential step for creating lasting impact.
Participatory approaches were also highlighted as key to fostering a strong sense of ownership over laws, which in turn can improve both implementation and compliance. Harmonizing national and international law is of equal importance as well as the identification and recognition of existing community-based practices.
On behalf of the SWM Programme Legal Team, Mr. Eugenio Sartoretto and Ms. Lola Nihotte outlined the main challenges of linking science, law and traditional knowledge – namely, the need to address all dimensions simultaneously. The speakers presented the development of the Legal Hub as one of the core outputs of the SWM Programme. The Legal Hub features legal country profiles incorporating several sectors relevant to sustainable wildlife management. The profiles are based on legal diagnostic tools and are shared with government counterparts prior to publishing. The Legal Hub also features interactive mapping tools to assess the national implementation of key Multilateral Environmental Agreements as well as a focus on existing customary norms and practices at the site where the SWM Programme operates in each country. The Legal Hub country pages also provide an overview of national institutions, detailing their mandates, roles, and responsibilities.
As a single, user-friendly access point to legal texts and analysis, the Legal Hub is a valuable resource for scientists, policymakers, NGOs, private companies, and civil society organizations. It facilitates access to and understanding of national legal frameworks, strengthens capacity of duty barers and empowers local communities by supporting the recognition of their relevant rights. By increasing public awareness and encouraging participatory law reform processes, it serves as a bridge between legal, scientific and customary knowledge, ultimately contributing to more sustainable wildlife management. The direct use and impact are reflected in legislative reform work that has been triggered in 8 out of the 15 participating countries using the information provided in the Legal Hub.
The event also welcomed delegates of the project partner countries DRC and Namibia, and the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) who presented concrete examples on the impact the Legal Hub had in each county and in the central Africa sub-region.
Mr. Daniel Mukubi, Head of Division, Directorate of Sustainable Development of the Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development and New Climate Economy in the DRC, shared insights into the national implementation of the Legal Hub in DRC. He noted that thanks to the Hub the DRC triggered the development of its first Wildlife Policy. Seven thematic forums have been organized to this purpose, resulting in a diagnostic summary note which has served as a basis for consultations on provincial level.
On behalf of COMIFAC, Mr. Chouaïbou Nchoutpouen, Deputy Executive Secretary, highlighted that wildlife management is a key priority for the COMIFAC. This commitment is reflected in the development of dedicated guidelines, ongoing efforts in data collection, awareness-raising, and action planning of a dedicated working group on Wildlife and Protected Areas. At the 18th meeting of this working group held in May 2025 in Brazzaville with the financial support of GIZ, COMIFAC member countries that feature in the Legal Hub developed concrete synergies to facilitate implementation of COMIFAC convergence plan. Broad interest in replicating the Legal Hub model across all COMIFAC member states was also expressed, recognizing it as an effective tool for advancing policy development and implementation.
Finally, Mr. Jose Kaumba, representative of Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism shared Namibia´s experience with the SWM Legal Hub. The Namibian section complements existing country pages for Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, contributing to cross-border comparison of wildlife governance and trigger harmonization processes. Over 260 legal texts were analyzed during the Project in Namibia, with results validated by national stakeholders at a workshop in May 2025. Participants from several ministries discussed overlapping issues—such as the legal definition of “wildlife” and inter-ministerial coordination on farmed species. The final analysis was subsequently reviewed and endorsed by the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Law Reform, and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, and is now available on the Legal Hub.