Paper short abstract:

Discuss issues related to international governance of biodiversity management

Paper long abstract:

The aim of this paper is to discuss whether global environmental governance is contributing to improving environmental and development conditions in Africa.

The specific focus is on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) initiative to protect African rhinoceros (from extinction) against Asian demands of rhino horn for medicine.

In a situation with fast growing rhino poaching in Africa and an Asian black market street value of rhino horn that has soared to about $65,000 a kilogram, making it more expensive than gold, platinum and in many cases, cocaine. In parts of Asia, a belief has taken hold in recent years that ingesting rhino horn can cure or prevent diseases such as cancer.

The double aim is, firstly to decode the discussion on the impact of global environmental governance (specifically CITES) on Africa and Africans in the past and present. The second part will be focusing on possible ways forward including the role of governance and markets in order to improve both environmental and developmental conditions in Africa.

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