ICIMOD in IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016

Created in 1948, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), an international organisation dedicated to finding ‘pragmatic solutions to the most pressing environment and development challenges’. IUCN is a membership union uniquely comprising both government and civil society organisations and provides the knowledge and tools enabling human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Held once every four years, the IUCN World Conservation Congress brings together several thousand leaders and decision makers from government, civil society, indigenous peoples, business, and academia, with the goal of conserving the environment and harnessing the solutions nature offers to global challenges. The congress aims to improve how we manage our natural environment for human, social and economic development, but this cannot be achieved by conservationists alone. The IUCN Congress is the place to put aside differences and work together to create good environmental governance, engaging all parts of society to share both the responsibilities and the benefits of conservation.

The next congress is scheduled 1-10 September 2016 in the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. It is being hosted by the state of Hawaii with the support of the United States Department of State. www.iucnworldconservationcongress.org

A congress with two components

The forum is a hub of public debate, bringing together people from all walks of life to discuss the world’s most pressing conservation and sustainability challenges. It includes many different types of events from high level dialogue to training workshops, poster presentations and informal discussions which explore the depths of conservation and innovation.

The Members’ Assembly is IUCN’s highest decision-making body. A unique global environmental parliament, it involves governments and NGOs – large and small, national and international – making joint decisions on conservation and sustainability.

ICIMOD is a member of the IUCN and have been active in contributing toward the IUCN goals and objectives through its various conservation and developmental activities. As a member, ICIMOD will participate in the congress with a wide range of activities including contribution toward setting global strategies and a new organisation of the union by its using voting rights. The glimpse of some key events are listed below: