Gaborone, Botswana - November 2-5, 2025
The OSS took part in the first African Summit on Biodiversity, convened by the African Union from 2 to 5 November 2025 in Gaborone, Botswana. The event brought together policymakers, scientists and development partners around a shared message: protecting Africa’s ecosystems - a natural heritage that recognizes no borders - requires collective and coordinated action.
During his address, Mr. Nabil Ben Khatra, OSS Executive Secretary, emphasized that regional cooperation remains the cornerstone of a sustainable and resilient Africa, one that harmonizes environmental preservation, socio-economic stability and human development. He highlighted the importance of strengthening local community resilience to ease pressure on natural ecosystems and promote more sustainable resource management.
Drawing on the AdaptWAP regional project, implemented in Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger with the Adaptation Fund support, Mr. Ben Khatra illustrated how joint natural resource management can serve as a driver of climate resilience and a catalyst for regional solidarity. Among its flagship initiatives are the establishment of a multi-risk early warning system and the strengthening of the regional management unit of the W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) transboundary complex, both of which aim to anticipate crises, safeguard communities and preserve shared ecosystems.
He further stressed that effective environmental policies rely on robust monitoring, evaluation and decision-support systems that can assess real impacts and guide public action. In this regard, the OSS promotes the use of Earth Observation, geographic information systems (GIS) and artificial intelligence to support science-based, data-driven strategies for environmental management and planning.
Mr. Ben Khatra also highlighted the recent designation of the OSS, in July 2025, by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as a Technical and Scientific Cooperation (TSC) Support Centre for North Africa. This recognition reinforces the Organization role as an African centre of excellence, serving its Member States and the wider scientific community, and marks a key milestone in the implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
He concluded calling for a comprehensive and integrated approach that links biodiversity conservation, the fight against desertification, climate change adaptation and emission reduction - interconnected pillars of the same vision: a united, strong and sustainable Africa, guardian of its resources and driver of its own development.