IUCN Digest - 2 August 2022
Welcome to the bi-weekly digest for IUCN Members and IUCN Commission members.
Message from the Director General
Dear Members,
I am pleased to share that the IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress was a success! We had more than 2,500 participants from 92 countries, with 52 of the 54 African nations represented in Kigali, Rwanda. This was Africa’s first conference dedicated to protected and conserved areas, but more importantly – it was a pan-African event led by Africans.
It was inspiring to see African leaders taking the driver’s seat, youth from the continent mobilising themselves for the future, indigenous peoples and local communities coming together to exchange… and of course – the IUCN community, including its esteemed Members the Government of Rwanda and Africa Wildlife Foundation, demonstrating its convening power like no other. It was crucial to listen to voices from across the continent and I was humbled to learn what they are doing for nature. It was a proud moment to see the adoption of the Kigali Call to Action, and I am confident this will serve as a strong foundation for future conservation in Africa.
As I said in my closing remarks: “There can be no doubt that inclusive protected and conserved areas that respect the rights of people and share their benefits equitably are the only way we can achieve the ambition of conserving at least 30% of land and sea areas.”
News
IUCN News pages Call to host the 6th International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC6) in 2026 World Ranger Day 2022 The future of Panthera tigris in Thailand and globally New guidance set to help reduce impacts from development on World Heritage sites Rwanda joins IUCN Green List What if water could speak? "Meet the Oceans" IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress culminates in Kigali Call to Action Migratory monarch butterfly now Endangered - IUCN Red List Rangers from Nicaragua and Mexico among global award winners Rangers from Zimbabwe, Kenya and DRC among global award winners Ranger from Bolivia among global award winners How can Protected and Conserved Areas Promote Equity and Rights? Suggested Pathways and Actions at the Africa Protected Areas Congress Getting ready for scaling up - Key Biodiversity Areas China National Coordination Group established
Events
IUCN Events Protecting Nature on Mediterranean islands, Malaga, Spain, 27 September, 2022 IUCN Leaders Forum, Jeju Province, South Korea, 13-15 October 2022 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) 3-9 February 2023 UNESCO 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, postponed until further notice. The publication of official documents, including IUCN recommendations, will be established by UNESCO in accordance with the Rules of Procedure at the appropriate time.
Resolutions and Recommendations
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 unites the world behind a common goal: preventing, halting and reversing the degradation of ecosystems worldwide. Being a conservation agency, this UN Decade is particularly important for IUCN. In fact, four of the Resolutions adopted in 2020 and during the World Conservation Congress in Marseille were dedicated to ecosystem restoration.
Resolution 7.025 – Ecosystem conservation, restoration and remediation in the ocean requests the whole Union to promote ecosystem conservation, restoration and remediation for all marine environments, and to provide support for the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems.
Resolution 7.035 – Promoting IUCN leadership in the implementation of the UN Decade on Restoration 2021-2030 asks to promote implementation of the Decade in the context of the IUCN Programme 2021-2024, advising governments in the development of ecosystem management strategies, and invites all Members to develop activities for the implementation of the UN Decade, and to address the drivers of ecosystem degradation.
Resolution 7.078 – Conservation, restoration and sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems urges Members to take measures to protect, sustainably manage and restore mangroves ecosystems, and to promote knowledge and adaptive management. and involve local communities and traditional owners in such activities.
Resolution 7.127 – Strengthening the protection of primary and old-growth forests in Europe and facilitating their restoration where possible encourages States in Europe to promote a legal framework for the conservation and restoration of such forests, with actions to set their strict protection as a goal for the European Green Deal, and prohibiting timber sourcing from them, among others.
Resolutions and Recommendations constitute a means through which IUCN Members set the organization’s general policy, influence conservation priorities and find support for moving commitments into action. All IUCN Resolutions are available on the Resolutions and Recommendations Platform.
Help us monitor the implementation of IUCN Resolutions by submitting an activity report on the Platform!
Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
IUCN's work on the Post-2020 global biodiversity framework First draft of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework Post-2020 global biodiversity framework (issues brief)
BIODEV2030 - Inspiring national action
BIODEV2030 @ the APAC Congress in Kigali
The BIODEV2030 team, deployed in 16 countries, 13 of which are in Africa, participated in the African Protected Areas Congress in Kigali, Rwanda, in July, to spotlight how biodiversity is being mainstreamed into key economic sectors in these countries.
The team hosted several events and roundtables with public and private officials to share the challenges and lessons from the BIODEV2030 project, and more specifically, the progress in getting the different sectors to make ambitious voluntary commitments integrating biodiversity for sustainable development.
See the IUCN highlights from the Congress here, and read more soon on BIODEV2030 website.
UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
Science-based ecosystem restoration for the 2020s and beyond (publication) UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration website
Opportunities
Work @ IUCN 5-minute Survey: Development of an IUCN Digital member zone. Deadline: 8 August 2022 Blue Carbon Accelerator Fund – call for proposals. Project developers and entrepreneurs in the Indo-Pacific region, Click here for more information and to check eligibility. Deadline: 7 September 2022 Call for solutions on Wildlife Health and Zoonotic Disease Risk Reduction Call for Solutions on Tourism Best Practices A Challenge to Reimagine Conservation in 2022 Currently running tenders
Online Learning and Webinars
Webinar: NASA’s Applied - Evaluating Ecosystem Services with Remote Sensing - online series 2022 RedList trainer course - Become a certified RedList trainer Webinar: How to apply the IUCN Red List Criteria for National Red List