COP15 ON RAMSAR CONVENTION - CYNESA PARTICIPATION PART II

By Tadiwa Kuseri (CYNESA Zim Program Lead)

The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15) was held from 23 to 31 July 2025 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, under the theme “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future”. This theme emphasizes the crucial role wetlands play in sustaining ecological health, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

This landmark conference brought together delegates from Contracting Parties, representatives of civil society, Indigenous Peoples, youth organizations, scientific institutions, and multilateral environmental agreements to advance the global wetlands agenda at a critical time for climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development.

The COP15 served as a pivotal platform for evaluating the progress of wetlands conservation, restoration, and wise use since COP14, while shaping a new vision for the next decade through the adoption of the Ramsar Strategic Plan 2025–2034. The conference placed strong emphasis on enhancing synergies with other multilateral environmental agreements, increasing visibility of wetlands in national and global policy frameworks, and scaling up restoration efforts in response to growing threats of degradation, pollution, and land conversion.

CYNESA Zimbabwe, supported by the Executive and Deputy Executive Directors (Allen Ottaro, and Tafara Dandadzi) participated in the COP15 on Ramsar Convention for wetlands. We had a good representation from young Catholics, 2 from Archdiocese of Harare (Rumbidzai Kusemwa and Tadiwanashe Kuseri) and 2 from Hwange Diocese (Rosario Moyo and Norbet Ncube). We actively participated in COP15 to contribute to and learn from deliberations on inclusive wetlands governance, community-led restoration, and youth engagement in implementing the Ramsar Convention. 

We also contributed  on key dialogues and side events on youth participation on sustainable use and conservation of wetlands. Among these were key engagements with UNDP Zimbabwe leader Dr Ayodele Odusola and the Ministry of Environment Pem-Secretary, Ambassador Chifamba.