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Story | 31 Oct, 2018

Mexico celebrates its first IUCN National Forum

The event brought together more than 350 participants, 50 panellists and 50 speakers to share experiences and impressions of diverse sectors – youth, indigenous peoples, government and academia – along with representatives of the Union’s pillars: Members, Secretariat and Commissions.

Mexico City, 25 October 2018 – Over the course of three days, experts in different areas came together in the frame of the First IUCN Mexican Forum to dialogue about strategies and possible solutions for addressing the nation’s conservation challenges. 

The event was organised by the Mexico National Committee of IUCN Members in coordination with the Regional Office for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. All activities were held at Universum, the Science Museum of the National Autonomous Museum of Mexico (UNAM), from Tuesday, 23 October, to Thursday the 25th.

Mexico has important wealth concentrated in its lands and seas, and a variety of indigenous cultures that have safeguarded natural resources since ancient times. Ensuring that nature continues to provide solutions and resources to tackle social and economic issues without undermining natural surroundings poses a demanding challenge.

In the opening ceremony, the National Commissioner of Natural Protected Areas, Alejandro del Mazo, emphasised that Mexico has demonstrated a commitment to conservation and has participated actively in IUCN-promoted projects through the National Commission on Natural Protected Areas (CONANP).

Ernesto Herrera, Mexican Members Committee Chair and General Director of the organisation Reforestamos México, underscored that this “is the first time in Mexico that Members and Expert Commissions are dialoguing in order to work together for a fair world that values nature.”

For Dr Grethel Aguilar, Director of the IUCN Regional Office for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, “the forum represented an opportunity allowing IUCN, its Members and partners to strengthen actions so that solutions can be implemented for the environmental challenges of a megadiverse, globally important country such as Mexico.”

She added, “Today we begin IUCN’s eighth decade in an ideal space to continue innovating, strengthening and creating new partnerships between governments, civil society and private sector.”

Promoting synergies

A panel of specialists participated in work sessions during the three days of the dialogue forum, sharing their experience in restoration of functional and productive landscape, protected areas, ecosystem-based adaptation, species conservation, environmental governance and other areas.

The forum also facilitated synergies among the IUCN’s three constituents, Member Organisations, Secretariat and Commissions, which permitted a tour of the Union’s path at global level before zeroing in on regional strategy and actions implemented in Mexico.  

Taking advantage of the presence of Mexican Membership, representatives of world commissions and the Secretariat, the event also served as scenario for celebrating IUCN’s 70th anniversary.

“It was an immensely rich and innovative forum, demonstrating once again that conservation involves all sectors,” said Ignacio March, Monitoring and Evaluation Director of CONANP.

Presentations at the different discussion panels will be available at https://foromexicanouicn.org/.