On 12^th December 2023, at Linda Hotel,  various stakeholders, including the political and administrative leaders of North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, security agencies, and civil society members, had a one-day meeting to discuss conservation and tourism development issues that are weighing on the Virunga National Park, one of the 7 National Park on the list of the Greater Virunga Landscape network, as per the Greater Virunga Transboundary Treaty signed on 30^th October 2015.

GVTC Delegates and North Kivu Province leaders during the Stakeholders engagement meeting on Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration for conservation of the Greater Virunga Landscape, Hotel Linda, Goma 12 December 2023

The Virunga National Park is on the list of the world heritage sites in danger, since 1994. The List of World Heritage in Danger is designed to inform the international community of conditions threatening the very features that allowed a property to be inscribed on the World Heritage List and to encourage corrective action.

The participants of the meeting have brought out issues which are threatening the existence of the Virunga National Park, including insecurity caused by the armed groups living in some parts of the park, as the main issue which is causing inaction on all conservation aspects, deforestation, traffic of wildlife resources, encroachment and insufficient community benefits from these resources.

Presentation on GVTC, its scope, mandate, achievements, challenges and future prospects done by Mukeshimana Juvenal, GVTC Program Assistant, Hotel Linda Goma on the 12th December 2023

The stakeholders have expressed their confidence that GVTC can help to save this park, considering its mandate as it is enshrined in that Treaty, in accordance with the following Treaty objectives:

1. Promote and coordinate conservation of biodiversity and related socio-cultural values within the Greater Virunga Landscape Protected Areas network.
2. Develop strategies for collaborative management of biodiversity.
3. Promote and ensure coordinated planning, monitoring and evaluation of implementation of transboundary conservation and development programmes
4. Promote and coordinate tourism development programmes in the Greater Virunga Landscape
5. Secure sustainable funding for collaborative management of the Transboundary Protected Areas Network to promote biodiversity conservation and tourism development in the Greater Virunga Landscape.
6. Enhance and harmonise the generation and sharing of knowledge, experience and best practices for evidence-based decision-making.
7. Promote and support the safety and security of wildlife resources and tourists within the Greater Virunga Landscape
8. Engage in any other activity for the attainment of Treaty objectives.

Madam Kabeya Fatuma Marie Rose, GVTC Deputy Executive Secretary for Finance and Administration, representing Dr Andrew Ggunga Seguya, GVTC Executive Secretary and Brigadier General Yangba Tene Danny, Principal Advisor of the Governor of North Kivu Province, on Security issues reiterated their firm commitment to conserving the Virunga National Park while promoting the Transboundary Collaboration given the interconnectedness of the Greater Virunga Landscape Protected areas network.

Madam Kabeya Fatuma Marie Rose, GVTC Deputy Executive Secretary for Finance and Administration and Brigadier General Yangba Tene Danny, Principal Advisor of the Governor of North Kivu Province, on Security issues delivering their opening remarks during the Stakeholders engagement meeting at Hotel Linda, Goma on 12 December 2023

They vowed to work hand in hand to solve the problems hindering conservation and tourism development efforts, especially since biodiversity conservation is not the business of the park rangers and the protected area managers only.

Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration will not fail to this trust and will endeavour to bring together all the GVL stakeholders for further discussions and solutions to the problems raised.

GVTC Treaty 30 Oct 2015