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Mission & Vision:

The African Elephant Coalition (AEC) is a consortium of 32 member countries interested in making sure that there is a healthy and viable elephant population free of threats from international ivory trade and with a vision and plan that will encompass national and regional strategies that promote non-consumptive use of elephants through development of ecotourism for the benefit of local communities.

Key activities of the African Elephant Coalition:

The members of the African Elephant Coalition supported and facilitated by an established operational secretariat and sub-regional focal offices of the Coalition shall ensure:

(a) There is close follow-up across the Coalition membership, of the implementation of CITES CoP Decisions and Resolutions on elephant conservation and ivory trade and particularly those Decisions directed to the Parties;

(b) Implementation of Decision 14.75, Directed to African elephant Range States, (Appendix 1) on resource mobilization, capacity building, development and implementation of Action Plans;

(c) Monitoring of both legal and illegal trade in ivory;

(d) Development of a common stand for the CITES CoPs based on new developments in ivory trade and elephant conservation and management;

(e) Organisation of exchange programs amongst the members to allow for sharing of experiences and this entail identification of resource countries within the Coalition from which the others can learn the different approaches to conservation management of the African elephant;

(f) Planning for capacity building training programs in an effort to strengthen the Coalition members on aspects of management of the CITES Convention and other Biodiversity related Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) while building synergies with the CITES Convention;

(g) Development of joint proposals and country positions on conservation and management of the African elephant for articulation at and discussion during meetings of CITES and other related Conventions such as the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), especially in Standing Committee and CoP;

(h) Informing the members of the Standing Committee representing the sub-regions represented in the Coalition on positions of the Coalition on matters relating to the conservation of the African elephant to enable the member to effectively articulate these issues via-a-vis the Coalition’s positions, at the Standing Committee meetings;

(i) Members of the Coalition individually and collectively carry out public outreach and awareness raising with CITES member States, IGOs and NGOs on the plight of the African elephant; and

(j) Mobilization of resources at national level and internationally towards implementation of the National elephant Strategies and the African Elephant Action Plan.

The goals of the AEC are to:

  1. Develop international strategies and actions concerning the conservation of African elephants and their habitats, and in particular address the need to eradicate illegal killing of African elephants, including advocating against any measures that would undermine the international ban on ivory trade;
  2. Ensure that no measures are adopted by the international community that could further undermine the security of elephants in Africa;
  3. Revitalize institutional capacity building within the Coalition member states for effective implementation of the CITES Convention and related MEAs and strengthen the sharing of experiences between States through the training of fauna managers and conservationists and any other contribution deemed necessary.
  4. Identify additional stakeholders, especially affected population, potential poachers for sensitization, training, and employment. Or at the least develop policies to the effect.