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PRESS RELEASE

 World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)

DURBAN TO HOST GLOBAL PARKS CONGRESS

DURBAN, South Africa, 29 July 1999 -- The South African coastal city of Durban has been selected to host the next once-a-decade World Congress on Protected Areas. It is expected to be the largest conservation gathering ever held in Africa.

The September 2002 Congress is expected to attract over 2,000 people involved in protected area management worldwide. It is being staged under the auspices of IUCN-The World Conservation Union in conjunction with IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). With 1,300 members in 140 countries, WCPA represents the world's largest network of protected area professionals.

"The Fifth World Congress on Protected Areas will allow a global stock-taking of protected areas and chart a course for their future in the 21st century," Dr. Maritta Koch-Weser, Director General of IUCN, said in announcing the choice of venue. Durban was chosen after a lengthy selection process involving several countries in Africa.

Professor Adrian Phillips, Chairman of WCPA, explained that "the theme for the 2002 Congress, ‘Benefits Beyond Boundaries’, illustrates the challenges and opportunities for protected areas as we enter the new millennium."

"The benefits of these areas to the people of this planet are many and varied," he added. "Whether it's clean water, habitat for plants and animals, or places for people to connect spiritually with the natural world, protected areas render a vital service to all humankind. The congress will challenge us to think about protected areas not as isolated ‘islands’ of ecological integrity but as key components in the management of the planet as a whole in the coming century."

Mavuso Mismang, Chief Executive of South African National Parks (SANP), which will join IUCN and WCPA in organizing the Congress, said "Southern Africa has many world renowned protected areas, both inland and coastal, that will allow us to showcase to the world African examples of innovative approaches to protected area establishment and management."

Professor Phillips added, "WCPA is delighted that this will be the first such Congress in Africa, a continent with a unique mix of magnificent natural heritage and diverse cultures. We are particularly pleased that SANP, one of the world's leading parks agencies, has been chosen as the primary executing agency to organise the Congress in South Africa in close co-operation with IUCN and WCPA."

Only four previous World Parks Congresses have been held, with the first two taking place in the United States. The first was held in Seattle, in 1962; and the second was staged in the world's oldest national park, Yellowstone in 1972. These events were followed by congresses in Bali, Indonesia in 1982 and in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1992.

Dr. Maritta Koch-Weser explained that the Fifth World Congress on Protected Areas will build on the new conservation directions that will emerge from IUCN’s World Conservation Congress, which will be held in Amman, Jordan, in October 2000. Due to be the biggest gathering of environmental experts next year, the Amman Congress will focus on the relationship between environment and security, particularly in the context of transboundary ecosystems.

Founded in 1948, IUCN is the world's oldest and largest conservation organisation bringing together some 950 government, non-government and institutional members across 140 countries in a global partnership for environment and conservation. IUCN is supported by an extensive network of over 10,000 scientists and practitioners working through six global Commissions including the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).

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