2026 Biodiversity Law & Governance Day: Rights-Based Conservation

III. Expert Roundtable: Rights-Based Conservation, Community Stewardship and Restoration in Africa How can African countries strengthen rights-based and community-led approaches to biodiversity conservation and restoration? What legal and governance frameworks are needed to support community stewardship, women-led conservation and livelihood initiatives, OECMs and restoration of degraded landscapes? What lessons from Zambia, Benin and other African countries can support effective implementation of Targets 2 and 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework? Hosted by Afrique Espérance & Développement (AfREDE) & Shibuyunji District Women Cooperatives Chairs: Oyeoussi Charles Balogoun (CEO & Founder, Afrique Espérance & Développement, AfREDE Benin); Taza Mulenga Lungu (Shibuyunji District Women’s Cooperatives Zambia) Speakers/Discussants: Brighton Mutali (Shibuyunji District Women’s Cooperatives Zambia); Anthony Simukonde (Executive Director/Founder, Greenit Enviro Management Network Zambia); Dieu Donné Razaramaro (Founder, Mi'Art Eco Madagascar); Innocent Antoine Houedji (Executive Director, Youth Initiative for Land in Africa YILAA Benin); Maurras Akakpo (Executive Director of BIOSPHERE Benin) Online Operator: Adv Julieta Sarno (BLGI Secretariat) Online Moderator: Adv Lusine Zakaryan (Scholar, YSU) Online Rapporteur: Anuoluwapo Babalola (Scholar, Univ Cambridge)