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afrol.com, 1 July - The Third Meeting of the Governing Council of the Parties to the Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement Operations Directed at Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora (Lusaka Agreement) will be held from 3-5 July 2000, at the Headquarters of the Lusaka Agreement Task Force, located at the Kenya Wildlife Service, Nairobi. The Lusaka Agreement Task Force, referred to by many as the "African Interpol for wildlife", was established under the Lusaka Agreement, to fight wildlife crime in Africa. To date, six governments are Parties to the Agreement, which entered into force on 10 December 1996. The Governing Council, the decision-making body for the Agreement, consists of the Parties to the Agreement. One of the objectives of the meeting is to review the status of implementation of the Lusaka Agreement by the Parties and the newly established Task Force. It will also determine the future direction for both the Parties and the Task Force in the execution of the Lusaka Agreement.
This will be the first meeting of the Governing Council since the establishment of the Lusaka Agreement Task Force on 1 June 1999. The Council will therefore take stock of the achievements and/or difficulties faced by the Task Force up to the present time. To that effect, Parties will review the reports of Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and of Adan Dullo, Director of the Task Force, as well as his proposed programme of work and budget for 2000- 2001. The Parties, likewise, are expected to complement the report by informing the others, what activities each Party has undertaken at national level to implement the agreement and facilitate the work of the Task Force. Effective implementation of the Lusaka Agreement depends upon the Parties to undertake fully their obligations under the Agreement. Mr. Töpfer had been requested by the parties to assist them in the implementation of the Lusaka Agreement and the work of the bodies established under it with, in particular, advisory and consultative services. Consequently the Executive Director or his representative will participate in the Third Meeting of the Governing Council.
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