Staff Reporter
THE Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Indileni Daniel, has officially launched the Namibia Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme Legal Hub, aimed at strengthening the country’s policy and legal framework for the sustainable management of natural resources.
“The Legal Hub in Namibia was developed starting with a collation of statutory and legal instruments relating to natural resource management by national lawyers and government, which were then analysed for strengths and opportunities to enhance the legal framework. This analysis was completed with valuable contributions from a wide range of stakeholders from the public and private sectors, culminating in a workshop hosted by Government to discuss the results and finalise the analysis for publication on the website. Following the final review by the Ministry of Justice, the Legal Hub for Namibia was published,” Daniel explained.
She revealed that the launch of the Namibia Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme Legal Hub was funded by the French Government through the French Development Agency, with co-funding from the German Government through GIZ.
“By allowing for public access to vital legal information on Namibia’s legislation and other implementing documents for the regulation of natural resources, this website enhances transparency, improves access to and understanding of legal instruments, including for local communities, and provides a platform for legal analysis that will guide us in modernising and strengthening our legislative environment. It serves as a comprehensive and integrated platform covering key areas such as wildlife management, hunting, land tenure, and animal health. In doing so, it reflects a holistic national approach to sustainable wildlife management,” Daniel said.
The minister added that Namibia now joins 13 other countries with Legal Hubs, including Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. She emphasised that the initiative builds on decades of progress in developing a strong policy and legal framework for natural resource governance, and reinforces Namibia’s position as a leader in conservation governance.
Also speaking at the launch, the Minister of Justice and Labour Relations, Fillemon Wise Immanuel, described the Legal Hub as a dynamic tool designed to bridge the gap between policy and implementation. He stressed its importance in light of a recent increase in wildlife-related crimes, particularly the illegal trade in rhino horns and ivory.
“Wildlife crimes do not respect borders. Therefore, let us use the Legal Hub to interact and flag our legal challenges and gaps in our existing legislations on wildlife protection. In doing so, we will be able to champion legal reforms to ensure that Namibia’s domestic laws remain robust and compliant with international treaties such as Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the SADC Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement. By strengthening our legal infrastructure, we send a clear message that Namibia is a jurisdiction of integrity, where wildlife is valued and the rule of law is absolute,” Immanuel added.
