SANF 04 no 101
Southern Africa has again proved its might in conservation by having one of its own, South Africa’s Mohammed Valli Moosa, elected President of one of the world’s most influential international organisations, IUCN – The World Conservation Union.
He was elected by an overwhelming majority of 432 votes to 199, in a resounding endorsement of the confidence the global conservation community has in his experience, insight and abilities. He defeated his opponent Parvez Hassan from Pakistan.
Dr Hillary Masundire, a Zimbabwean, has also lit the candle for the region after being re-elected Chair of the Union’s Commission on Ecosystems Management. He was unopposed.
The two were elected during the IUCN 3rd World Conservation Congress held in Bangkok, Thailand from 17 – 25 November.
Moosa, South Africa’s former Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism is set to lead and support the Union of over 1,000 governmental and non-governmental member organisations over the next four years.
According to an IUCN press statement, Moosa’s election portrays the confidence of IUCN members in his abilities to increase the relevance and impact of the world’s largest conservation network as the Union continues to expand its membership, engages with new sectors including the business community, and addresses new conservation issues such as poverty reduction.
“Nature conservation is everybody’s business. We will succeed if we continue to broaden our scope and involve more people. I would like each and every individual to be more conscious of nature conservation; we must imbue it in our practices and personalities,” he said just after being elected.
Moosa was born in 1957 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He attained a Bachelor of Science majoring in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Durban-Westville in 1978, and has served a number of national and international bodies including the United Nations Environment Programme Governing Council, the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, and the South African Business Trust.
The statement described Moosa as a leader who is passionate about democracy, development and freedom ideals. He became Minister of Constitutional Affairs in President Nelson Mandela’s cabinet in 1994, and was appointed Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in 1999.
He attracted international acclaim as a key negotiator during the drafting of South Africa’s new Constitution, and through his competent mediation at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002 and the 5th IUCN World Parks Congress in Durban in 2003, both of which were held in South Africa largely due to his initiative and effort.
Moosa was nominated for the IUCN Presidency, after retiring from politics before South Africa’s general elections in April this year, in recognition of his role in global events while he was minister.
Southern Africa, demonstrating its unified force, put its weight behind him for the position. The rest of the African continent supported Moosa to ensure the position came here for the first time in the IUCN’s history. (SARDC)
