The Third Meeting of the Range States of the Joint CITES-CMS African Carnivores Initiative (ACI) will be held from 7 to 10 December 2026 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
The meeting will bring together representatives of African countries that are Range States to one or more of the four species currently covered by the ACI: the African Lion (Panthera leo), Leopard (Panthera pardus), Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus).
The Programme of Work for the Joint CITES-CMS African Carnivores Initiative, approved by the Standing Committees of CMS and CITES in September 2021, provided a framework for conservation action for the ACI species across their ranges.
In line with CMS COP15 Decision 15.179, ACI Range States are invited to revise the Programme of Work as necessary, monitor the functionality of the Initiative in accordance with CMS Resolution 13.4, and reflect in the revised Programme of Work the amendments to the listing of species adopted at CMS COP15, including the listing of the Striped Hyaena (Hyaena hyaena). In parallel, CITES Decision 19.24 (Rev. CoP20) directs the CITES Secretariat to support ACI Range States in preparing a revised Programme of Work and implementing relevant CITES Resolutions and Decisions that contribute to the Initiative.
In accordance with the agreed outcomes of the Second Meeting of ACI Range States (ACI2), Range States will also consider recommendations arising from the intersessional working groups. These include proposals concerning the governance, coordination and funding arrangements of the ACI; proposed Terms of Use and protocols for data standardization, verification and submission for the African Lion Database; and a proposal for the mapping and analysis of transboundary populations, ecological corridors and connectivity areas for the ACI species.
The meeting will also include a one-day workshop on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence.
ACI3 follows the Second Meeting of the Range States of the Joint CITES-CMS African Carnivores Initiative (ACI2), held in Entebbe, Uganda, in 2023.
Practical information
Meeting documents will be made available on this page in November 2026.
The meeting will be conducted in English and in French, with simultaneous interpretation provided for both languages.
Detailed meeting and logistical information, including the meeting venue, will be provided to registered participants through a meeting information factsheet.
Participants who require a visa to enter Zimbabwe are urged to apply as soon as possible through the Government of Zimbabwe’s official e-visa platform. A visa support letter may be provided by the CMS and CITES Secretariats upon request, if needed.
The meeting is made possible through the generous financial support of the European Union, the Federal Government of Germany, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and through the support of the Government of Zimbabwe as host of the meeting.
