LATF Rallies Member States to Establish a Regional Command and Control Centre and Digital Public Infrastructure
Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF), in collaboration with the Ministries of Tourism and Wildlife of Kenya and Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania, together with the Remote Sensing Technology Centre of Japan (RESTEC), successfully convened a high-level side event on the sidelines of TICAD 9 in Yokohama, Japan. The event, themed “Digital Public Infrastructure and a Regional Command and Control Centre to Address Human–Nature Conflicts in Africa,” marked a major step toward building a continent-wide digital response framework to tackle escalating environmental challenges.
Across Africa, human–nature conflicts are intensifying from human–wildlife clashes driven by habitat loss, poaching, and illegal trade, to agro-pastoral disputes over land and water scarcity. Biodiversity loss continues to undermine tourism and economies across the continent. Climate change is magnifying these pressures, yet responses remain fragmented due to weak data systems and limited cross-border coordination.
To address this, LATF is spearheading the establishment of a Regional Command and Control Centre supported by a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to integrate real-time data, strengthen enforcement, and foster predictive rather than reactive governance. Drawing on key global studies and partnerships, the initiative will connect wildlife, customs, immigration, and policing sectors across borders, enabling seamless collaboration. A secure UN-hosted cloud platform will anchor the system, ensuring inclusivity, transparency, and reduced data management burdens for African states.
Leaders described the initiative as a watershed moment, with strong backing expressed by governments, United Nations agencies, and private sector partners for the proposal by Lusaka Agreement member states to establish a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and a Regional Command and Control Centre (RCCC) in Africa. President William Ruto of Kenya emphasized that the DPI and Command Centre, to be hosted at LATF headquarters in Nairobi, will “transform environmental data into decisive action against poaching, illegal logging, and human–nature conflicts, marking a new model of cross-border collaboration where technology, science, and governance converge.” Hon. Dr. Pindi Chana of Tanzania, President of the Lusaka Agreement Governing Council, underscored the urgency of the effort, noting that digital tools will enable Africa to detect, prevent, and respond to environmental crimes more effectively. Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Hon. Rebecca Miano, further stressed that human–nature conflict is not just a conservation challenge, but a development, security, and governance issue requiring unified digital enforcement. The proposal, led by the Government of Kenya, seeks to enhance environmental governance and response capacity across the continent by leveraging the latest innovations in remote sensing and satellite technology, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing to tackle urgent challenges, including human–wildlife conflict, climate-related displacement, illegal wildlife trade, and environmental degradation through real-time data, digital platforms, and regional coordination mechanisms.
LATF Director Edward Phiri underscored the need to connect enforcement, conservation and development sectors in real time. RESTEC President Kaname Ikeda reaffirmed Japan’s technical support, citing the Geospatial Risk Index project as a model of AI and satellite-driven innovation. JICA, UNOOSA, and UNDP also pledged support, underlining the global significance of the initiative and its potential to scale across the continent.
The partners called for necessity of a unified action to mobilize resources, build institutional capacities, and align digital innovation with Africa’s ecological and developmental goals. It reflects growing momentum for a collaborative and future-facing approach to environmental governance, as endorsed by multiple stakeholders at TICAD 9.
The press release is attached here
