News Story
July 30, 2003
HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? CONSERVATION FINANCE ALLIANCE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The most recent credible estimate of the total annual costs to operate an effective, representative global protected areas system is US $45 billion, yet current expenditures to manage the existing global protected areas network are estimated at US $6.5 billion. The quantum leap required to attain a level of funding sufficient to ensure a sustainable future and halt global biodiversity loss has driven 19 institutions, including IUCN, to establish the Conservation Finance Alliance (CFA). The Alliance strives to accelerate the delivery of conservation finance solutions by collaborating in areas where working together is more effective than working alone. The CFA will catalyze increased and sustainable public and private financing for large-scale biodiversity conservation efforts, including Multilateral Environment Agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Financing is also an issue that will be debated at the upcoming Vth IUCN World Parks Congress to be held in South Africa in September.

More information on the CFA

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News Story
July 28, 2003
UICN MESOAMÉRICA CELEBRA VI FORO REGIONAL

Las organizaciones miembro, los Vice-presidentes de las Comisiones y representantes de la Secretaría Regional de la Unión Mundial para la Naturaleza en Mesoamérica, tendrán la oportunidad de reunirse en el VI Foro Regional que se realizará en Honduras, del 27 al 31 de julio de 2003, precediendo la celebración del V Congreso Mundial de Parques (Durban, 2003) y del III Congreso Mundial de la Conservación (Bangkok, 2004). “El foro representa el punto de encuentro de los tres pilares fundamentales de la Unión, en un espacio único de interacción presencial” -afirmó Jesús Cisneros, Coordinador de la Unidad de Membresía, Monitoreo y Evaluación de la UICN Mesoamérica. Según Cisneros, el Foro es un momento para hacer un “alto” en el camino y reflexionar y evaluar los alcances logrados hasta ahora, antes de seguir adelante.

Toda la historia // UICN ORMA

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Feature Story
July 22, 2003
WILL NIGER’S AÏR AND TÉNÉRÉ NATURAL RESERVES BE ABANDONED?

The Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves in Niger are in danger of becoming orphans. For over a decade, during the 1991-1997 armed conflict between the Tuaregs and the government of Niger and ongoing unrest since then, the park has had no authority in place to stop poachers from hunting the last remaining populations of several endangered antelope species such as the Addax and Oryx. ‘If we don’t act now, we are putting the reserves in jeopardy,’ warns Elhadji Gagéré, Secretary General of the local NGO GAGE. Aïr and Ténéré protected area was established in 1975 with the help of IUCN – The World Conservation Union and WWF. It is one of the biggest in Western Africa, covering an area of 7.7 million ha and boasting the volcanic rock mass of the Aïr, a small Sahelian pocket, and the Saharan desert of Ténéré.

Full story // IUCN in Africa

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News Story
July 22, 2003
COMUNICACIÓN EN EL MANEJO DE LAS ÁREAS PROTEGIDAS EN AMÉRICA LATINA

Se está desarrollando en Argentina la reunión sobre el “Rol y el Impacto de la Comunicación en el Manejo de las Áreas Protegidas en América Latina”, organizado por la Comisión de Educación y Comunicación, CEC, de la Unión Mundial para la Naturaleza, UICN, en preparación hacia el Congreso Mundial de Parques a realizarse en Durban, África del Sur, en septiembre de este año. Esta reunión pretende identificar y mostrar la experiencia y conocimiento acumulados en la región en materia de comunicación, educación y conciencia pública. El evento proveerá un espacio de intercambio de aprendizajes entre gerentes y comunicadores/as que trabajan en áreas protegidas en América Latina e identificará aquellos factores clave que permiten lograr avances positivos. Su meta es mejorar el reconocimiento del valor de la comunicación, la educación y la conciencia pública como un medio para desarrollar apoyo para las áreas protegidas entre agencias de protección ambiental, ministerios del ambiente, agencias internacionales y donantes.

Más información // IUCN CEC // UICN-SUR Oficina Regional para América del Sur

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News Story
July 21, 2003
AFRICA ADOPTS FIRST COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL TREATY ON NATURAL RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

African nations have received a ‘road map’ to manage their natural resources more sustainably with the recent adoption of a landmark treaty by the Heads of States of the Members of the African Union. The revised African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources was approved by the Assembly of the African Union on July 11, 2003 in Maputo, Mozambique. The revision of the 1968 Convention, first called for in 1980, brings the treaty up to date with the latest developments in international law, and the move towards sustainable development. “The decision by Member States of the African Union to endorse the revised Convention gives voice to the growing commitment of African leaders to conservation and sustainable development,” says IUCN Director General Achim Steiner.

Full press release // IUCN in Africa // IUCN Environmental Law Programme

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News Story
July 15, 2003
YOUNG CONVERSATIONIST & THE FUTURE OF PROTECTED AREAS WORLDWIDE - A CALL TO DISCUSSION AT THE 5th WPC

Twelve F&ES students and two F&ES faculty will be attending the Fifth World Parks Congress in Durban, South Africa in September. Most participating students were enrolled in a protected areas course taught in the Spring, in which they conducted a survey of the thoughts and ideas of young people around the world on the future of protected areas. Published in July as a discussion paper by Yale F&ES, the paper will be distributed at the Congress and used as part of a scheduled discussion session on the visions of young professionals for protected areas in the future. Students hope that their findings will be used a starting point for broader discussion among Congress participants and that some of their thoughts will be incorporated in the Durban Accord and Action Plan, one of the Congress output documents.

The purpose of the Fifth World Parks Congress (Durban, South Africa, September 2003) is "to demonstrate the relevance of protected areas to the broader economic, social and environmental agendas for the world in the 21st century, and to examine the challenges and opportunities facing protected areas in coming decades, by bringing together the world's foremost experts on protected areas."

In the Spring of 2003, Lisa Curran, associate professor of tropical resources and director of the Tropical Resources Institute, and Gordon Geballe, Associate Dean, with the assistance of Lisbet Kugler ’01, research associate, taught "Protected Areas Issues and Practices: Challenges for the Fifth World Parks Congress." This research seminar had three major objectives: 1) to enable students to explore and summarize the major issues and current practices that affect protected areas worldwide; 2) to gain an understanding of the proceedings and mechanics of a global environmental conference such as the Fifth World Parks Congress; and 3) to provide students with a unique opportunity to contribute to the preparation, proceedings, and outcomes of the Congress and to interact with leading professionals in this field.

Through the course, students provided research to support various Congress Workshop leaders, and topics ranged from transboundary parks and governance issues to indigenous people, and also collectively drafted a young professionals discussion paper on the future of protected areas worldwide for dissemination at the Fifth World Parks Congress.

In February 2003, students obtained permission from Congress organizers to send a survey about protected areas to young people who had applied to attend the Congress. The purpose was to understand concerns and ideas of young conservationists from around the world regarding the future of protected areas and to begin a discussion in which their ideas could be brought together. Based onthese findings, students completed in July 2003 a young professionals discussion paper on the future of protected areas worldwide published by the School to serve as a fruitful starting point for the discussion of young conservationists' visions for and roles in protected areas management, at the Congress and beyond. Students hope that some of these thoughts and visions will be incorporated into the Durban Accord and Action Plan and considered by Congress attendees for implementation in individual protected areas.

Through their work, students participating in the Congress hope to initiate an intergenerational dialogue among youth, young professionals, and practitioners about how to improve protected areas management worldwide, now and in the future, and especially how to ensure that future by finding more and better ways to engage young people around the world in conservation today. To this end, students invite Congress participants to join them in a scheduled discussion at the Fifth World Parks Congress and urge them to continue this dialogue beyond the Congress

Yale Survey - Discussion Paper - PDF Document - 1MB
Plan of Action for Engagement of Youth and Young Professionals at the World Parks Congress - PDF Document - 128KB
Yale School of Forestry and Environment Studiesback to top

News Story
Julliet 14, 2003
THE WPC EXHIBITION - BENEFITS BEYOND BOUNDARIES

One of the highlights of the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress will be the "Benefits Beyond Boundaries" Exhibition at the Durban Exhibition Centre, organized by Village Exhibitions and Events in collaboration with SANparks and IUCN. This promises to be a high-powered, informative exhibition where congress participants can glean insight into and exchange ideas on protected areas issues. In addition to individual member displays, this exciting venue will include an arts and crafts market, an international food stand, the Thabani Theatre, Outer Limits Restaurant, facilities for organizing parallel events, cocktail parties and presentations. We encourage you to reserve space now in order to take this unique opportunity to showcase your work and join in the effort to bring awareness of protected areas agenda to the public eye.

The attached newsletter gives further details of the exhibition and also describes a new package that has been put together for exhibitors.

For full details on the availability of booths and rental costs please visit the website: www.e3events.com/wpc

The time is drawing closer and exhibition space is filling up so if you would like to or are planning to exhibit please contact the organizers as soon as possible to secure a space.

Please note there are only 53 days left to build-up.

More information on the WPC Exhibition

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News Story
Julliet 11, 2003
SOCIAL POLICY ISSUES PROFILED AT THE WPC

The Vth IUCN World Parks Congress to be held in Durban, South Africa, from 8 to 17 September, 2003, has as its theme "Benefits Beyond Boundaries". It will address many relevant linkages between protected areas and key social policy issues, for instance Indigenous Peoples, Sacred Natural Areas, Human Mobility, Livelihoods, and Gender. Rigoberta Menchu, the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner, will speak on "Protected Areas and Indigenous Peoples: spiritual values of protected areas and partnerships for a sustainable future” at the opening ceremony of the WPC on September 8. She will also introduce a video on “Gender and Protected Areas” at a Symposium on "Community and Parks" on September 10.

More information : (PDF Documents)

Sacred Natural Places / Gender and Protected Areasback to top

News Story
Julliet 07, 2003
STRIVING FOR A CARBON NEUTRAL VTH IUCN WORLD PARKS CONGRESS

In September this year, some 3000 delegates from all over the world will make their way down to South Africa to attend the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress. This once in a decade event will no doubt produce many positive outcomes for protected areas and conservation. It will also produce some less positive outputs – in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) and related green-house gases. Aware of the impact such events have on the environment, IUCN has teamed up with the Johannesburg Climate Legacy (JCL) team to work out what the environmental footprint of the congress will be, and to encourage delegates to offset the emissions they cause by their presence in Durban. The JCL was initiated under the “Greening the WSSD” project, which marked the first serious attempt to reduce the environmental impacts of a major United Nations summit on the host city. (...)

Full Story / Calculating the footpring powerpoint (PowerPoint Document) / JCL website

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News Story
Juillet 03, 2003
SEIS NACIONES UNIDAS POR LA CONSERVACIÓN DE LA GRAN RUTA INCA

La Unión Mundial para la Naturaleza, UICN, en un esfuerzo conjunto con varios organismos internacionales de conservación, y con instituciones nacionales en Perú, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile y Colombia, presentará una propuesta orientada a la conservación de la Gran Ruta Inca, en su Congreso Mundial de Parques, a realizarse en septiembre, en Durban, Sudáfrica. La meta general del proyecto es desarrollar una Red de Áreas Protegidas asociadas con la Gran Ruta Inca (RAPAGRI), en los seis países cuyos territorios alcanzó el imperio incaico. Esta red tendrá entre sus objetivos lograr, entre otros, el desarrollo sostenible de las comunidades andinas; la restauración y utilización de la ruta principal y sitios arqueológicos asociados; la identificación y manejo especial de sitios sagrados naturales; la conservación de la biodiversidad y de cabeceras de cuencas críticas. (...)

Más información / Website de UICN-SUR

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News Story
Juillet 02, 2003
LEADING CONSERVATIONISTS ON THE VTH IUCN WORLD PARKS CONGRESS

In their previous lives they were academics, prosecuting lawyers, economists, and even loggers. Today, they lead the world’s largest independent conservation organisations, working in an international arena as well as in the most fascinating places around the world, and shaping the future of conservation in the 21st century. What do they think is the most important message that the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress should convey? In interview sessions carried out in IUCN headquarters in Switzerland, the leaders of the World Resources Institute, WWF International, The Nature Conservancy, BirdLife International, Fauna and Flora International, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Conservation International, and IUCN give you their views on the major global forum for setting the agenda for protected areas. (...)

Full Story / More Interviews

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News Story
Juillet 01, 2003
A GLOBAL AGREEMENT FOR PEOPLE AND THE EARTH’S PROTECTED AREAS

The Durban Accord is a global outreach statement from those participating in the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress to all constituencies with interests and involvement in protected areas throughout the world. It seeks to encourage a series of new dialogues and agreements in recognition of the beneficial role which protected areas provide to society. An open consultation on the draft texts of the Durban Accord and Action Plan has just been established. The closing date for comments is 25 July 2003 and comments should be sent, preferably by email to Virginia Tschopp, IUCN Programme on Protected Areas, Rue Mauverney 28, CH 1196 Gland, Switzerland, Tel: +41 22 999 0161, Fax: +41 22 999 0015, Email: Virginia.tschopp@iucn.org. (...)

Full Story / Durban Accord / Durban Action Plan / List of Drafting Group / More information on the WPC Outputs

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