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Vth World Parks Congress - 7-17 September 2003, Durban, South Africa

The Homepage www.iucn.org/wpc2003/ contains a brief introduction as to what the WPC is and links to the main sections -
This section contains information about the WPC, ranging from the concept of parks congresses with a historical overview of previous congresses, to logistical information such as details of the congress location, dates, organizers, and a brief description of the WCPA
Outputs of the Congress
This is where new documents are posted and news disseminated. As well it host the daily coverage of the congress events and gives useful updates in the build up to the WPC. It includes links to the PARKS newsletter and a section for the Media, covering press releases, media briefs and details of media accreditation
All you ever wanted to know about the people behind the WPC, from IUCN and WCPA staff to people in South Africa National Parks, the South African Ministry for the Environment, the Congress Patrons and other partners. This section also provides useful links
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OUTPUTS OF THE CONGRESS

Outputs on Africa's Protected Areas

Documents

This was the first ever World Parks Congress held in Africa. The Congress aimed to influence African decision makers and acted to reinforce the vital role that protected areas can play in providing benefits to people as well as stimulating increased support and action for these vital areas. African protected area experience were highlighted throughout the Congress. The main focus was the Africa Day, on the afternoon and evening of September 16. This featured an overview of protected areas in Africa and focused on an agenda for future action. Specific activities included:

The African Protected Area Initiative (APAI) is a major program to develop for all African Countries a well designed and managed system of protected areas that will meet the environmental and social needs of each country

African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
This Convention was approved in July 2003 by the Assembly of the African Union in Mozambique and establishes a ‘road map’ for African Countries to manage their natural resources more sustainably. The concept of conservation areas, incorporating the IUCN Protected Area management Categories, is embedded in the text of the Convention. The World Parks Congress will provide a platform to put the Convention in the limelight and to promote its ratification.
African Protected Areas Trust Fund.
One of the main objectives of APAI is the creation of a $250 million African Protected Areas Trust Fund, supported by African Governments, international donor agencies, the business community and key local stakeholders. The aim of this Fund will be to ensure that African protected areas can provide a sustainable flow of benefits to African communities and to ensure stable and predictable financing over a long period of time. This Fund will be launched at the Congress and a long term implementation staretgy developed.

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   Documents

Africa and the World Parks Congress - PDF - 65KB
The African Protected Areas Initiative (APAI): Enhancing Support for Protected Areas - PDF - 130KB
Recommendation: Support for Protected Areas in Africa - PDF - 62KB
The Durban Concensus on African Protected Areas for the New Millenium - A Ten Point Agenda for Action - PDF - 94KB
Introducing the African Protected Areas Initiative - APAI
Paper presented by Eldad Tukahirwa at the IUCN – WSSD Preparatory Meeting, Dakar, Senegal, 23-25 April, 2002
PDF - 75KB
African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources - PDF - 47KB

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This section contains a breakdown of the programme per day, details of the workshops, side events and short courses. It also provides information about the exhibition, the field trips and pre / post congress tours.
Les résultats prévus au COngrèsLos resultados previstos del Congreso
The Durban Accord is a high level vision statement for PAs in the 21st Century - a message to the world from the Congress.
The WPC Recommendations are 30 stand-alone recommendations linked to WPC workshop streams and cross cuts themes.
The Inputs into the CBD process will provide input from the WPC to the Conference of the Parties (COP) 7. This COP will be held in Malaysia in February, 2004, and will focus on protected areas.
WPC Emerging Issues
Strengthening Protected Areas: Ten Target Areas for Action in the Next Decade
A number of other outputs are planned, which will relate to Tourism, Transboundary initiatives, Protected Area Categories Review, Extractive Industries, the Spiritual values of Protected Areas, Mountains and African protected areas.
Managing Protected Areas in the 21st Century will be a handbook for PA practitioners collating the learning from Durban. Rich in case studies, models, lessons learned and drawn mostly from the IUCN World Parks Congress Streams and Cross Cutting Themes, it will be the 'User Manual' for the Durban Accord.
Non Material Values of Protected Areas Outputs
PALNet - Protected Areas Learning Network
The United Nations List & State of the World's Protected Areas (PAs) Report will be the global report card for the world's PAs.
World Parks Congress Outputs from the Transboundary Protected Areas Task Force of the IUCN-WCPA

For more information, please contact
David Sheppard,

Head, Programme on Protected Areas, IUCN

 
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