Programme Purpose
The purpose of the Programme is to establish capacity and institutional mechanisms that enable SADC Member States to collaborate in regional biodiversity conservation; to manage Invasive Alien Species (IAS); and to apply Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) principles.

Programme Outputs
Programme Output 1
Knowledge and information for effective regional collaboration in managing IAS and applying ABS
principles generated.
Activities
1. Conduct detailed literature searches on the management of IAS and application of ABS
principles;
2. Carry out experiments or pilot studies on IAS and on ABS;
3. Develop functional databases and set regional standards for data sets: and (iv) develop regional
protocols on “best practice” in IAS and ABS.

Programme Output 2
Institutional arrangements for promoting effective regional collaboration in managing IAS and apply -
ing ABS principles identified and operationalised.
Activities
1. Establish and support national and regional expert groups in IAS and ABS;
2. Conduct training needs assessments in IAS and ABS; (iii) carry out institutional analyses to
identify Centres of Excellence (Cs of E) in IAS and ABS; and
3. Facilitate the approval of recommended Cs of E by SADC structures; and (v) facilitate the implementation of training programmes at Cs of E.

Programme Output 3
A policy and legal environment for promoting effective regional collaboration in managing IAS and
applying ABS principles created.
Activities
1. Review national and regional laws and policies and identify areas that hinder regional collaboration in managing IAS and in applying ABS principles, and
2. Develop regional instruments that address gaps in current laws and policies.

Programme Output 4
Sustainable financing mechanisms for managing IAS and applying ABS principles established.
Activities
1. Conduct pilot activities to establish existing financing mechanisms with emphasis on IAS and
ABS;
2. Promote the mainstreaming of IAS and ABS issues into on-going national, regional and Africa
wide initiatives; and
3. Draft a long-term strategy for financing IAS and ABS activities in the region.

Programme Output 5
A common regional approach to the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources agreed upon.
Activities
1. Develop a Regional Biodiversity Strategy; and
2. Convene regional meetings to prepare for meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the CBD.

Programme Financing, Administration
and Management
Programme Financing and Administration
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
funds the Programme, which is under the aegis of the Strategic Planning, Gender and Policy Harmonization Directorate of SADC. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Regional Office for Southern Africa (IUCN-ROSA) provides technical support and implements the programme on behalf of SADC. Programme management oversight is provided by SADC, UNDP and IUCN-ROSA through the Programme Coordination Meeting (PCM). The Programme gets policy and technical guidance from a Regional Steering Committee (RSC). The Committee consists of National Programme Coordinators (NPCs), the SADC Secretariat, UNDP, GEF, IUCN-ROSA and the Programme Management Unit, (PMU). NPCs are senior civil servants from Ministries who are national Focal Points for the CBD. Regional experts in IAS and ABS provide technical
oversight to relevant regional programme activities. NPCs coordinate national activities of the Programme with the assistance of full-time Programme Assistants. National Steering Committees provide policy oversight and technical backstopping to the Programme. National experts on IAS and on ABS implement specific national level activities.

Programme Management
The Programme is run by a PMU consisting of a Regional Programme Manager, two Te c h n i c a l
Advisors in IAS and ABS and an Administrative Assistant.