121 - Next IUCN World Parks Congress

121 - Next IUCN World Parks Congress

Latest version in this language: Version for electronic vote | Published on: 01 Sep 2020

RECALLING the long and successful history of IUCN World Parks Congresses convened by IUCN and the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), and held in the United States of America (1962, 1972), Indonesia (1982), Venezuela (1992), South Africa (2003) and Australia (2014);

RECALLING The Promise of Sydney concluded at the IUCN World Parks Congress 2014, hosted by Australia in Sydney; and

ACKNOWLEDGING the significant influence that these Congresses have had on the development of policies, programmes and approaches to governance and management of protected and conserved areas and their contribution to nature conservation and human well-being;

The IUCN World Conservation Congress, at its session in Marseille, France:

1. REQUESTS the Director General and the Chair of WCPA to monitor and report on progress of the implementation of The Promise of Sydney;

2. DECIDES to convene the next IUCN World Parks Congress during the inter-sessional period between the 2024 and 2028 World Conservation Congresses;

3. REQUESTS the Director General to call for proposals from suitably qualified countries to host the next IUCN World Parks Congress;

4. REQUESTS the Director General and the Chair of WCPA to establish, at an appropriate time, an International Steering Committee to determine the theme and scope of the Congress; and

5. INVITES the Council, Members, Commissions and partners of IUCN to support the preparation and delivery of the next IUCN World Parks Congress.

World Parks Congresses have been convened by IUCN approximately every 10 years since 1962. These Congresses have been acknowledged as having been significantly influential in developing, promoting and mobilising action around protected area policy. The 1982 Congress in Bali brought social issues in protected area management strongly onto the agenda. The Durban Action Plan developed at the Vth World Parks Congress in 2003 was very influential in developing the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Programme of Work on Protected Areas and commitments made through the Promise of Sydney from the Vith World Parks Congress in 2014 are contributing significantly to the implementation of the Convention’s current strategic plan.

Keeping with the approximate 10-year period between World Parks Congresses would place the next Congress during the intersessional period between the 2024 and 2028 World Conservation Congresses, with the exact timing to be decided by IUCN and the host nation. Planning for the Congress, including calling for expressions of interest from potential host countries will need to start during the current intersessional period.
  • Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water [Australia]
  • Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute [Australia]
  • Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society [Canada]
  • NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service [Australia]
  • The WILD Foundation [United States of America]
  • US Department of the Interior (National Park Service) [United States of America]
  • World Wide Fund for Nature - International [Switzerland]
  • World Wildlife Fund - US [United States of America]

Hosts