Negotiations to extend the iSimangaliso Wetland Park into the Maputo National Park in Mozambique, begins on Thursday, the 11th July 2025.
South Africa is among 195 countries participating in the 47th Session currently taking place at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters until 16 July 2025.
The delegation is led by Nomfundo Tshabalala, the Director-General of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, supported by Dr Phil Mjwara -South Africa’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO and Sibusiso Bukhosini -the Chief Executive Officer of iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority.
Dr Dion George, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), said “in line with our strategy to elevate our iconic natural sites into world class destinations, the expansion of iSimangaliso into Maputo National Park would translate into ecological protection, job creation, and inclusive tourism, benefitting both South Africans and Mozambicans.”
The proposed extension of iSimangaliso has been recommended for listing on the UNESCO World Heritage List by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Through the negotiations, team South Africa will propose strong recommendations for sustainable development and reporting, guided by environmental legislations, joint governance structures, as well as matters of a joint management framework for the proposed Transboundary World Heritage Site, should it be successfully listed.
Picture: PeaceParks