Topic:
Country: South Africa
Delegate Name: Quynh Song
Committee: IUCN
Topic: Regulating Invasive Species
Country Represented: South Africa
Delegate: Quynh Song
School: Greenhills School
Invasive species cost the global economy at least $423 billion annually. Alien species have increasingly invaded worldwide ecosystems, harming indigenous plants and animals. Around 200 new alien species are recorded every year, and the projected increase is alarmingly 36% by 2050. However, the United Nations has taken significant steps in tackling this issue through agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and initiatives like the Global Invasive Species Program in 1997 which aim to promote the conservation of biodiversity. Both addressed pressured biodiversity and encouraged international cooperation to protect their ecosystems through new policies. However, the IUCN needs to continue regulating these harmful invasive species.
South Africa has implemented multiple strategies to combat this issue, recognizing their significance in threatening biodiversity and human livelihood. In 2014, the nation adopted the “National Strategy for Dealing with Biological Invasions,” which outlines a comprehensive approach to managing this issue. Moreover, the National Environmental Biodiversity Act (2004) enacted prohibitions, regulations of existing wildlife, and border control of invasive species. Additionally, South Africa holds a National Invasive Species Week under the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) annually to raise awareness to the general public, stimulate management plans, and work with other sectors to strengthen efforts. Furthermore, there are regional and continental initiatives such as the African Union’s Strategy for Managing Invasive Species in Africa contributes to a wide range approach similar to the Southern African Development Community.
The IUCN must prioritize tackling invasive alien organisms and their impacts to global biodiversity. South Africa is eager to collaborate with many to solve this pressing issue. It has multiple proposals for resolutions on the topic of invasive species such as focusing on combating invasive species, including pushing for cooperation to build up cross-border policies, promoting the restoration of native groups in ecosystems affected, and through the importance of Early Detection and Rapid Response to prevent further spread. Public engagement and community involvement plays a critical role, recognizing that local communities are key to regional success. By raising awareness and empowering citizens to take action through new programs influenced by best practices, the country believes that more sustainable and long-lasting solutions can be achieved. The South African delegation firmly believes that with these proposed resolutions, the IUCN can restore biodiversity, conserve vulnerable native organisms, and foster a global effort to shelter ecosystems from invasive alien species.
Works Cited:
https://www.cbd.int/invasive/doc/legislation/south-africa.pdf
https://www.gisp.org/
https://iucn.org/our-work/topic/invasive-alien-species#:~:text=Regulating%20the%20trade%20and%20movement,detection%2C%20monitoring%20and%20rapid%20eradication
