3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress: "People and Nature - only one world" Bangkok, Thailand, 17-25 November 2004

Our understanding and knowledge of ecosystems has grown enormously in recent decades. The 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress aims to explore and demonstrate how this knowledge relates to many of the world’s most pressing development and sustainability challenges – be they productivity, poverty, peoples’ rights to a healthy environment or profitable enterprises. The Congress will encompass: IUCN Commission meetings, the World Conservation Forum and the Members’ Business Assembly and will be attended by at least 3,000 participants. For more information please see the 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress Brochure in English, French or Spanish (pdf 510kb). Download an overview of the Congress and the Forum by clicking here (ppt 112 kb).

World Conservation Journey to Bangkok // World Conservation Congress website

The World Conservation Forum, 18-20 November

The World Conservation Forum (18-20 November) is one of the key elements of the 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress. It will convene over 3,000 of the world's leading specialists and practitioners to address the key challenges in conservation and sustainable development today.

The World Conservation Forum will present a more comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date assessment of the state of biodiversity on our planet than ever before. Through Global Synthesis Workshops and a series of related events and platforms the Forum will explore and demonstrate how cutting edge knowledge can be applied to address the world's most pressing sustainable development challenges through four broad themes.

Ecosystem management – Bridging sustainability and productivity
The Ecosystem Approach emerged as a response to societal concerns for the need to balance human needs for nature conservation and economic productivity. This theme will highlight lessons learned from around the world to manage land and seascapes based on the ecosystem approach. Tools and mechanisms best suited to bridging sustainable use of biodiversity and productivity will be explored..

Health, Poverty and Conservation - Responding to the challenge of human well-being
This theme will explore the circumstances under which the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources can tangibly contribute to both poverty reduction and improving peoples’ health and well-being. Workshops will address the linkages and possible solutions to issues such as hunger, access to safe drinking water and livelihood security. Challenges and targets highlighted in the Millennium Development Goals and the WSSD Plan of Implementation will be used as a starting point for discussion.

Biodiversity loss and Species Extinction - Managing risk in a changing world
Relationships between risk and global change, including globalization, security and global warming, and the impact of change on our capacity to reverse the loss of biodiversity and secure ecosystem integrity will be explored. The effectiveness of approaches to monitor change and assess risks to biodiversity and people will be reviewed. The tools and mechanisms to better manage conservation interventions and address species extinction will be identified. Broadly, the workshop will address vulnerability and adaptation to climate change; meeting the World Summit on Sustainable Development target of reversing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010; and capacity and technology transfer needs to conserve species..

Markets, Business and the Environment - Strengthening corporate social responsibility, law and policy
This theme will explore how markets can function more sustainably, how companies can manage biodiversity in their operations, how to develop new business based on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and the role of governance frameworks. It will show how business can both support and benefit from sustainable use of natural resources, and identify the steps needed to ensure that markets work for both people and nature. The core message is: trade, investment and business are important if we are to link biodiversity conservation with improvements in livelihoods.

Health, Poverty and Conservation: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities

The Health, Poverty and Conservation theme will be guided by the Millennium Development Goals and the objectives of the WSSD Plan of Implementation. While the linkages between environmental sustainability and human well being are often phrased in terms of efficiency and win-win situations, reality has shown that they are much more complex. Our challenge is to explain such linkages through addressing issues of governance and rights. For example, the International Bill on Human Rights states that there exists a fundamental right for all people “to be free from hunger” and “to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family”; for many of the rural poor in particular, the full realization of such rights is contingent on their ability to access the environmental goods and services needed for long-term wellbeing and livelihood security.

Theme Objectives:

1. Understanding the dynamics: First, we will explore the state of knowledge on the links between poverty, health and environment.
2. A new paradigm for linking conservation and development: Second, we aim to better understand issues of governance, rights and responsibilities as fundamental links between conservation and human well being. This would include discussion of the role of gender equity.
3. Laying the foundations for action: Third, we will discuss tools, strategies, and targets available to address the links between health, poverty and conservation.

Suggested Sub-themes:

Building the case – The role of biodiversity conservation in securing human well being:
Under what circumstances does biodiversity conservation serve to enhance human health and reduce poverty?
How does the application of principles of sustainable use of natural resources contribute to sustainable livelihoods and human development?

Institutional and policy arrangements to secure human well being:
What added value does conservation bring to Poverty Reduction Strategies and other economic development approaches for improved livelihoods?
What are the means to effectively integrate environmental considerations into such tools?
What are the implications of key global and national economic policies, including the role societies accord the private sector, for achieving targets in health, poverty and conservation sectors?

Life’s essentials:
What is the role of water management in sustaining food security, nutrition, human health and environmental health?
How can biodiversity conservation enhance its contribution to the health of all people and especially of those most affected by disease and unhealthy conditions?
What is the role of access rights and equitable sharing of benefits in fostering human well being?

Governance, Security and Livelihoods:
How do weak governance, corruption, illegal activities, unclear tenure and use rights contribute to insecurity, poverty and environmental degradation?
Does an understanding of rights, duties and obligations help to clarify the dynamic relationship between environmental sustainability, poverty reduction, human health and human wellbeing?
What principles and approaches to effective environmental governance exist for supporting livelihood security, poverty reduction and sustainable resource use?