07 Oct 2025

Botswana will host the African Biodiversity Summit in Gaborone from November 2 to 5, in collaboration with the African Union Commission.

The gathering will be held under the theme “Leveraging Africa’s Biodiversity for Prosperity.”

Giving an overview of the summit to members of the diplomatic corps this morning, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Dr Patricia Mogomotsi, said the event will provide a vital platform to transform Africa’s vast natural wealth into tangible benefits for its people.

“Over the years we have seen Africa and Africans being known for their resources, but not translating that into development,” she said.
“That is why it is very important to have summits like this one, where we want to translate all this richness of natural resources and biodiversity into development, people’s livelihoods, and economic growth in our respective countries,” she said.

Ms Mogomotsi highlighted that one of the key objectives of the summit is to provide political direction and support for Africa’s biodiversity priorities, including strengthening the continent’s engagement in global environmental negotiations.

“We now want to approach these global negotiations, as diverse as they are, with a united voice as Africans,” she said.

Another objective of the summit, she said, is to strengthen partnerships for the implementation of continental and international biodiversity frameworks, ensuring that Africa’s biodiversity becomes a cornerstone for sustainable development.

The summit is expected to attract more than 46 ministers from across the continent, alongside policymakers, researchers, conservationists, and international partners.
It aims to promote Africa’s unified approach to biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable economic development. ENDS