Prince Harry Joins Panel Moderated by Katie Couric Discussing African Parks, A Cause He’s Long Supported

Prince Harry supported an important cause on the first day of his New York City trip.

On Sept. 23, the Duke of Sussex, 40, appeared at an event for African Parks during his solo trip to N.Y.C. Prince Harry kicked off his whirlwind visit a week after his 40th birthday. The African Parks event was the third outing of his jam-packed day.

According to Harry’s office, the event “showcased the transformative work the organization is undertaking across the continent, emphasizing their innovative ‘conservation at scale’ initiatives.” Harry was part of a panel at the event moderated by Katie Couric that included figures like Hindou Omarou Ibrahim, Rob Walton and African Parks CEO Peter Fearnhead. The panel spoke about “the organization’s ambitious goals and measurable successes in combating climate change, protecting vital ecosystems and enhancing local livelihoods,” according to the statement, and Harry shared a “personal and powerful account” of his involvement in the 2016 translocation of elephants in Malawi.

King Charles’ son got involved with African Parks in 2016, where he joined the team in Malawi to help implement phase one of the 500 Elephants project, one of the most ambitious elephant translocations in history. He became president of the non-profit conservation group that manages national parks across the continent the following year, and his promotion to the Board of Directors, the organization’s governing body, was announced in 2023.

Of Harry’s visit eight years ago to Malawi, the statement read, “This experience profoundly shaped his understanding of conservation and its extensive impact. He expressed how this pivotal moment further fueled his commitment to the continent as well as his passion for Africa’s rich biodiversity and cultural heritage.”

African Parks oversees 22 protected areas in Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan Zambia and Zimbabwe, and Harry has toured several of the aforementioned countries for this work. In August 2022, he co-hosted U.S. officials, conservationists and philanthropists on a tour of protected wildlife and nature preserves under the management of African Parks in Zambia, Mozambique and Rwanda.

“By cultivating collaborations and backing initiatives like those of African Parks, we can help preserve Africa’s natural splendor and ecological richness for future generations,” the statement from Harry’s office concluded.

The 2016 trip — and Prince Harry’s affiliation with African Parks — predates his step back from his royal role in the U.K. with his wife Meghan Markle in 2020. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex relocated to her home state of California, and remain based there with their children Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.

In January, the Duke of Sussex was urged to step down from the board of African Parks following a report that its rangers raped, beat and tortured indigenous people in Africa.

At the start of the year, the Mail on Sundaypublished an investigation alleging that guards employed by African Parks abused the Baka people in the Republic of the Congo. Members of the indigenous group once known as pygmies live in Odzala-Kokoua National Park claimed that the guards stopped them from entering forests where they have “foraged, fished, hunted and found medicines for millennia” by violent means, the outlet reported.

The outlet said that community activists alleged a Baka man died after being beaten and jailed without medical care, while a woman said she was raped by an armed guard while holding her newborn baby. Other claims include a teen boy who said he was groomed for prostitution by another guard, a man who said he was whipped with a belt while his head was forced under water and claims that medical staff were “subjected to intimidation to cover up abuse.”

The Mail on Sunday did not disclose when these alleged atrocities took place.

Amid the backlash, African Parks issued a statement from the CEO and the board to underscore its zero-tolerance policy for abuse. The statement emphasized that an ongoing investigation into the allegations made involving the guards at Odzala-Kokoua National Park was its “highest priority.”

“African Parks has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of abuse and is committed to upholding the rights of local and indigenous people. Allegations of misconduct are thoroughly investigated and acted on, and all of our parks are managed with a central philosophy of awareness, sensitivity and commitment to upholding the rights of local people,” the message said in part.

According to the statement, African Parks became aware of the allegations “via a Board Member who received a letter from Survival International.” The Times implied the board member was Prince Harry. A representative for the Duke of Sussex declined to comment at the time when reached by PEOPLE.

When Prince Harry’s trip to N.Y.C. was announced in August, African Parks was among the causes his spokesperson said he would step out to support.

“During UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week in New York City, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, will be in town to advance a number of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives,” a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex said. “He will participate in engagements with African Parks, The HALO Trust, The Diana Award, and Travalyst.”

“In addition, he will be furthering the work of The Archewell Foundation, the nonprofit organization he co-founded with his wife Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex,” they added.

Africa is a place dear to the Duke of Sussex’s heart, one he has called a “second home,” and has visited many times since he was a young boy. In addition to his work there with African Parks and the HALO Trust, he co-founded Sentebale with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 to help children and young people affected by poverty, inequality and HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana.

He also proposed to Meghan with an engagement ring featuring a center gem ethically sourced from Botswana, connecting back to their trip there in the early days of their courtship in the summer of 2016.