injected into park management stations

TheNamibiangovernment,co-financedbytheGermanGovernmentthroughthe KfW Development Bank injected N$132 million to upgrade accommodation establishmentsandmanagementstations.

Thestate-of-the-artfacilities,thefirstbiggestandmost significantdevelopmentfortheSkeletonCoastNational Park consist of housing accommodation, management systemsandadditionalparkequipment.

The infrastructure and equipment include new park management stations constructed at Cape Cross, Ugabmund, Möwe Bay and Springbokwasser in the Kunene region and the Cape Cross Seal Reserve in the Erongo Region will assist in the management of the National Parks in which they are situated and enhance biodiversityconservation.

The Minister of Environment Tourism and Forestry, Pohamba Shifeta, has expressed his excitement about the tourism sector following the inauguration and handing over of park infrastructure and equipment in the Dorob and Skeleton Coast National Park in Namibialastweek.

Shifeta said, “the inauguration of these park management stations is the latest outcome of the excellent cooperation between the Republic of Namibiaand the FederalRepublicof Germany “This is also a clear testimony that we are working hard to establish our parks as viable tourist destinations that will benefit the people who live alongside them.” He added that the new infrastructure will improve the management of parks and service delivery – and, as a result, tourists visiting the parks will enjoy Namibia's best-kept secrets. “We continue to invest in new infrastructure development for national parks Additional infrastructure developments are currently underway at the Gobabeb Research Station and Sesriem Management Station in the Namib Naukluft ParkintheErongoregion,”Shifetasaid.Shifetanoted that the coastal parks of Cape Cross, Skeleton Coast, Dorob and Namib Naukluft are part of what has become one of the longest protected coastlines in the world,stretchingfromtheIonaNationalParkinsouthwesternAngola,borderingtheSkeletonCoastParkto the Ramsar Site at the Orange River According to Shifeta, these coastal parks' linkage with the transfrontier conservation areas creates further linkages with numerous concessions, conservancies and private conservation areas, and they offer exceptionalconservationandtourismopportunities. Additionally,thesenewstationsareanadditiontoother facilities built through the German Development Cooperation in the south at Oranjemund, Lüderitz, Rosh Pinah andAus for the development of the Tsau //Khaeb (Sperrgebiet) National Park, Shisinze in the NkasaRuparaNationalPark,andSikerettiStationsin the Khaudum National Park, at Buffalo Core Area, Shuno Station in Mudumu National Park, sand ome limited extended facilities at Ngenda and Susuwe Stations”Shifetaadded.

TheEnvironmentalMinisterwentasfarasstatingthat thecoastalParksofCapeCross,SkeletonCoast,Dorob andNamibNaukluftParkarepartofwhathasbecome one of the longest protected coastlines in the world, stretchingfromtheIonaNationalParkinsouthwestern Angola, bordering the Skeleton Coast Park to the RamsarSiteattheOrangeRiver

The Minister urged workers at national parks in Kunene and Erongo Regions, to maintain the newly renovated facilities as it will attract more tourists and improvetheirlivelihood.

German Ambassador to Namibia Herbert Beck emphasised Namibia-Germany's common vision and values for integrating biodiversity and conservation withsustainabledevelopment.

Beckmaintainsthatthecountry'ssuccessfulintegrated protected area system relies on close cooperation between national parks, adjacent communal conservancies, and farming communities, of which Namibia is said to be leading this implementing approachinAfrica.

The Ambassador stated that he is cognizant of the various challenges and difficult financial situation of the government budget, which was heavily impacted bythecovid-19pandemicandtheongoinghikeinthe inflation rate, adding that although tourism is picking up again, the financial situation of national parks will continuetopersist.

Beck believes that the establishment of a sustainable financial mechanism is of high importance for the long-termmaintenanceandmanagementofNamParks andbothgovernmentshavealreadyagreedtothis,and itissaiditwillbecomearealitysoon.

“Nonetheless, we are convinced that the Namibian Government will continue prioritizing the sector protecting the natural heritage of global importance andsourceofincomeforsomanyNamibianfamilies', Becksaid.

“The Namibian Government has always been committedtoensurethatitspeoplebenefitfromcaring for their natural resources through its laws and regulations.As a responsible global citizen, Germany recognises its duties to support its partners in those conservation efforts and has supported Namibia since its establishment of the National Parks Programme in 2006,”Beckstated.

Namibia Hosts a Regional Judges' Colloquium on Intellectual Property Matters

Eliphas Sheepo

Namibia is currently hosting a three-day regional Judges' Colloquium on Intellectual Property (IP), a platform made real by theAfrican Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) and the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa (AfrIPI) in partnership with The GovernmentoftheRepublicofNamibia,representedbythe Business Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) and the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ), in Swakopmundfrom3to5May

Atestament by the Minister of Justice,Yvonne Dausab, pointing out howstrongIPenablesbusinessestoleveragetheirIPassets,whichcan leadtojobcreation,foreigninvestment,andoveralleconomicgrowth. Dausab has observed a culture developing where people, simply no longer wanted to pitch ideas to public platforms, like applying for a tender, for fear of their idea being stolen. “If it was a developed discipline locally, many of our people would have been subject to muchIPinfringementlitigation,”Dausabsaid.

Inherspeech,ChiefExecutiveOfficerofBIPA,VivienneKatjiuongua highlighted, “effective enforcement of intellectual property rights is essentialforthegrowthanddevelopmentofinnovationandcreativity

It ensures that creators and innovators receive the necessary legal protection to fully exploit their creations, while also providing consumerswithaccesstoqualityproductsandservices.”

As it was strongly put by Director General of ARIPO, Bemanya Twebaze,“inthedevelopingworld,IPinfringementisperpetratedby 'innocent' people who are usually incredulous and surprised to learn thattheyarecommittingacrime.”

The Colloquium will bring together judges and lawyers that handle Intellectual Property (IP) matters in ARIPO Member and Observer StatestoshareexperiencesandinformationonIPmatterstodevelop and strengthen IP law in Africa. The participating States in the Colloquium include Botswana, CapeVerde, Ethiopia,The Kingdom of Eswatini, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania,Uganda,Zambia,Zanzibar,andZimbabwe.