Taking into account the current health situation, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has decided to organise a “hybrid” IUCN World Conservation Congress, thus allowing people not able to physically attend the event to follow and participate in some parts of the Congress remotely. The French government reaffirms that it is very pleased to host this IUCN Congress on its territory, while doing its utmost to ensure that this is done under the conditions desired by IUCN and in accordance with the health protocols in force at the time of the event.
The IUCN Congress will be held in Marseille from 3 to 11 September 2021.
With this decision, the French government and IUCN aim to ensure a successful event by enabling broad participation from around the world.
Please also note the following dates for the Congress components:
- The Forum will take place from 4 to 7 September
- The Exhibition will be held from 4 to 9 September
- The IUCN Members’ Assembly will meet from 8 to 10 September with the first sitting scheduled for 4 September 2021. The revised Members’ Assembly agenda was published on 3 June 2021.
- The Nature Generation Areas, or “Espaces Générations Nature”, will be running from 4 to 11 September.
Q&A: Changes to the IUCN Congress
Please note: This Q&A will be updated as new information becomes available.
Last updated: 30/08/2021
General Information
Contact: congress@iucn.org
The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us of nature’s importance in our daily lives and its close links to our health. In such a context, holding the IUCN Congress will help to drive conservation actions to tackle the important issues of our times related to conservation, human and wildlife health, and sustainable development.
The content of the Forum programme will be updated to reflect the COVID-19 pandemic context, and its impacts on the global nature and biodiversity agenda. The website will be updated accordingly in due course. See question “I am a participant – what will change for me?” for more information.
In addition, IUCN Council has developed a short companion document to the IUCN Programme 2021–2024 – Nature 2030, which it considers necessary to systematically address the broader implications of the pandemic and human health that have emerged since the original Programme document was first developed.
The draft document is intended to provide high-level strategic guidance to all IUCN constituencies as to how the existing ambitions within Nature 2030 can be fully harnessed in the context of the pandemic, recovery from it, and in view of greater global attention to human health.
A Member consultation on the draft Addendum to the IUCN Programme took place between 1 April - 1 May 2021 and the revised version will be published on 3 June 2021. The final draft version will be tabled for discussion and adoption during the Congress as a formal addendum to the Programme.
In addition, Members will also address the issue of the COVID-19 pandemic, during the discussion of issues of strategic importance for the Union, as the topics have been strengthened by adding a focus on the impact of COVID‑19 on conservation.
The Congress maintains the same elements as planned for January 2021, including the open public access to the Nature Generation Areas and Exhibition. In order to implement necessary safety precautions, IUCN and France have been working to restructure the physical space and layout of the venue rooms and will continue to make necessary modifications as the situation evolves.
IUCN and France will make appropriate changes to protect participants while still upholding IUCN’s statutory, strategic and Membership obligations. These measures will be announced with as much advance notice as possible on the Congress website and through the Congress newsletter.
The IUCN Council has decided to reduce the length of the Members’ Assembly session to three days.
The different Congress components will take place on the following dates:
- The Forum will take place from 4 to 7 September
- The Exhibition will be held from 4 to 9 September
- The IUCN Member’s Assembly will meet from 8 to 10 September with a first sitting at the beginning of the Congress
- The Nature Generation Areas, or “Espaces Générations Nature”, will be running from 4 to 11 September”
A number of Forum sessions scheduled at the Congress venue will also be streamed online. The Speaker Pitches will continue to be organised online only in virtual mode, as previously announced. Please consult the Official programme to identify which sessions are planned to be online or only available onsite.
The entire Members' Assembly will be live-streamed and the recordings of each sitting made available for delayed viewing soon after they close.
IUCN Council elections shall be held by an online vote open to all IUCN Members eligible to vote (present in Marseille or not) and Contact Groups shall be organized virtually to allow Members off-site to participate in the discussion of content of motions. However, please note that voting on motions and decision items other than elections shall take place by duly accredited delegates of IUCN Members onsite during the Members’ Assembly.
IUCN and France are working with all summit organisers, with the goal to hold the summits during the Congress. IUCN will announce new dates and any other updates regarding the summits on the Congress website, in the Congress newsletter and on IUCN social media channels.
Please note that the Global Youth Summit was held online from 5-16 April 2021. For more information on the follow-up event on 3 September, please visit the Global Youth Summit Page.
Following the enhanced health measures implemented on 3 April 2021, the health situation in France has improved in May-June 2021. Since the beginning of July 2021, a new increase in Covid-19 cases has been observed following the faster spread of the Delta variant.
The weekly number of Covid-19 cases is 145,000 new cases compared with 260,000 new cases at the end of March 2021. The Covid-19 positivity rate is 3% (compared to 8% at the end of March 2021) and has decreased for the last 3 weeks. The pressure on intensive care units remains under control, at 45% as of 29 August 2021 vs. 115% at the beginning of April 2021.
At the same time, vaccination has significantly accelerated with more than 48 million people vaccinated with a first dose (71% of the French population), and nearly 43M people fully vaccinated (64% of the French population). In relation to the population aged 12 and over, old enough to be vaccinated, the complete vaccination rate is 74% (83% 1st dose).
The rate of vaccinations increased again in July, following new measures adopted by the government. Vaccination figures for the Marseille region are about 2 points slightly below the national average.
Taking into account the improvements observed, the reopening of public facilities and places has taken place in 4 phases since the beginning of May, the last phase having started on 30 June 2021. To date, most public facilities and places can receive customers and visitors to their full capacity, subject to the proper implementation and respect of barrier gestures and distancing measures.
Among these measures, access to certain public facilities is subject to the presentation, at the entrance, of a health pass proving either a complete vaccination, a PCR or antigenic test of less than 72 hours, or immunity to Covid-19. This obligation applies in particular to events of more than 1,000 people.
Following a new increase in cases observed at the beginning of July, mainly due to the impact of the Delta variant, which is spreading more quickly, the French President announced additional measures on 12 July 2021, the main one being the extension of the health pass to almost all public facilities, both for visitors and staff of 18 years old and more, according to a calendar extending until September 2021.
Depending on the evolution of the health situation during the summer, further measures may be required.
About registration, excursions and accommodation
Contacts:
Registration and excursions: iucn@gl-events.com
Hotel booking: iucn.housing@gl-events.com
The IUCN Congress now has two different registration options:
- Inperson participation: This provides the complete Congress experience, from direct exchanges with top conservation experts to high-level live and in-person debates and sessions. IUCN Congresses are opportunities for professional growth, networking and driving impact. While maintaining health and safety protocols throughout the venue, in-person participation will help to broaden your network, get first-hand information and allow you to weigh in on the most pressing issues facing our planet. For fees and deadlines, please see “Will IUCN extend earlybird rates or offer new discounted registration rates for in-person participation?” or visit our “registration fees” page.
- Virtual participation: This option provides you with all the Congress essentials from anywhere with an internet connection. It is the best option for those who are interested in identifying links that tie their organisation’s work with nature. With a variety of select, top-quality sessions, from high-level discussions to more technical ones, virtual participation offers an interactive experience and real-time access to the expertise and insights shared at the Congress. Many sessions allow you to share your thoughts and ask for feedback from the experts, making this the perfect first introduction to an IUCN World Conservation Congress or an excellent option for those unable to make the trip to Marseille for the full Congress. Please note that registration for the virtual participation option will be available from 6 May. For fees and deadlines for virtual participation, please visit our “registration fees” page.
Should you choose to change your onsite participation to the online participation, please contact the registration company GL Events (iucn@gl-events.com)by 25 August at the latest to proceed with the change of registration category and reimbursement of the price difference between the two registration fees.
Once GL Events has changed your registration category, they will send you a reimbursement form to fill in and sign so that they can proceed with the reimbursement of the difference between the onsite fee and the online fee.
You will be given the choice to proceed with the full reimbursement of the difference between the onsite fee and online fee or you can leave the difference as a donation to IUCN (receipts for tax returns available upon request).
The carbon offset participation will not be reimbursed as it is being kept to compensate the electronic emissions that the online Congress generates.
Reimbursements will be processed within 30 days after receiving the reimbursement form duly filled in and signed. Please be informed that reimbursements can only be made by bank transfer.
Should you choose or not be able to participate in the Congress in person, you may change your registration to the online option, transfer your in-person registration to a colleague at no cost, or cancel your participation.
If you wish to neither participate online nor onsite, the standard cancellation policy for onsite fees applies as indicated below.
Cancellation request submitted until 03 June 2021 * |
80% Refund
|
Cancellation request submitted from 04 June 2021 to 03 August 2021 * |
50% Refund |
Cancellation request submitted after 04 August 2021* |
No Refund
|
No Show |
No Refund |
* All due dates are based on Paris, France standard time
Please contact the registration agency at iucn@gl-events.com for any substitutions or cancellations indicating whether you also wish to cancel your carbon offset contribution.
Reimbursements will be processed within 30 days after receiving the reimbursement form duly filled in and signed. Please be informed that reimbursements can only be made by bank transfer.
When proceeding to either changing your registration to the online event or as part of the cancellation of your participation, the registration company will cancel your hotel booking and proceed to the reimbursement of it. Reimbursements will be processed within 30 days after receiving the reimbursement form duly filled in and signed. Please be informed that reimbursements can only be made by bank transfer.
The cancellation fees applicable are specified in the Terms and Conditions for hotel booking as in the reservation system (individual reservations) or as per your contract signed in case of group bookings
When proceeding to either changing your registration to the online event or as part of the cancellation of your participation, the registration company will cancel your booked excursion and proceed to the reimbursement of it. Reimbursements will be processed within 30 days after receiving the reimbursement form duly filled in and signed. Please be informed that reimbursements can only be made by bank transfer.
The registration deadlines for in-person participation have been adjusted to align with the new Congress dates as follows:
- Early bird rates: up to 17 June 2021
- Standard rates : from 18 June to 03 August 2021
- Late rates: as of 04 August 2021
These deadlines only apply for the in-person participation fees as the virtual participation fees are comprised of unique adult and youth fees with no distinctions on deadlines.
While IUCN will reimburse onsite registration fees should the Congress need to be cancelled due to COVID-19, participants are responsible for any registration and other costs linked to other incidents that would prevent a participant from attending the Congress including, but not limited to, a potential travel restriction from the participant’s own country. For this reason, we strongly advise all participants to take out appropriate travel insurance.
France and IUCN have been working with the Marseille Tourist Office and hotels to put in place an adequate supply of accommodation for the new Congress dates in September.
The hotel booking system will open for reservations on 6 May 2021. If you have already booked a hotel through the Congress housing system, the housing agency will contact you to confirm whether your hotel reservation can be maintained for the new Congress dates and under which conditions.
The Congress logistics agency is in the process of confirming with all excursion organisers the availability, prices and conditions for the new Congress dates. More information will be published by beginning of June 2021.
IUCN will inform participants via the Congress newsletter once excursions are available for the new Congress dates. If you have already booked an excursion, please wait for further information about the availability of the excursion during the new dates and the process for canceling or changing your reservation.
About health and safety precautions
IUCN and the French government, in collaboration with local authorities, are closely monitoring the health situation and will implement the necessary measures to ensure maximum safety for participants, in compliance with applicable regulations.
These measures incorporate the recommendations of the most recent health protocols and may evolve until the event takes place, in order to adapt to the situation and to new scientific recommendations. The Congress' health protocol was validated by the French health authorities on 13 July 2021.
The main measures planned to date include:
- Access to the Congress upon presentation of an electronic (TousAntiCovid notebook) or paper health pass (or European health certificate / “green pass”), or equivalent document (proof of vaccination, antigenic or RT-PCR test of less than 72h, proof of immunity / Covid-19 recovery certificate) for all delegates and general public participants over 18 years old, as well as for all staff involved (organisers, service providers, exhibitors).
- On-site antigenic or RT-PCR tests for non-vaccinated delegates (French and international), exhibitors and staff involved in the opening of the Congress.
- Incentive to download and activate the TousAntiCovid app.
- Reminder of social distancing at the entrances to the Congress venue and in all spaces (billboards, digital screens, voice messages).
- Face mask mandatory at the entrance of the Congress venue and throughout the event (both inside and outside).
- Protective screens installed on the Congress reception banks and counters.
- Hydroalcoholic gel terminals and dispensers at the entrances of the Congress venue, in all buildings, as well as in the main aisles, conference rooms and shared spaces.
- Enforcement of the distancing measures applicable to the different types of space: 1 seat out of 2 in the conference rooms; 1 m between each person in traffic areas, service spaces and offices; 6 pers. / table + 2m between tables for catering spaces.
- Regular natural ventilation of the premises and/or mechanical ventilation 100% outdoor air working continuously. Periodic CO2 levels measurements.
- Limitation of contact surfaces and objects, including the dematerialization of communication supports, payment terminals, etc.
- Individualization of containers and dishes in restauration and catering services.
- Regular disinfection of the most utilized contact surfaces, especially in catering areas, conference rooms and stands.
- Specific bins for Covid-19 hazardous waste (masks / handkerchiefs / gloves).
- Adapted and thorough cleaning protocol.
- Procedure for the management and isolation of symptomatic cases, with dedicated premises.
+ UPDATE 13/08/2021: What should I do, as a participant, to ensure my own safety and that of others during the Congress?
First of all, take note of the measures and recommendations in force on French territory. (FR) (ENG)
If you do not yet have a health pass, anticipate the steps to be taken in order to get one in sufficient time before your visit:
- in case of vaccination, the health pass is valid as of 7 days (28 days with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) after the 2nd injection
- in case of a RT-PCR or antigenic test, the health pass is valid up to 72 hours after the test
- in case of a positive RT-PCR or antigenic test attesting to a Covid-19 recovery, the health pass is valid from a minimum of 15 days and up to a maximum of 6 months after the test
Depending on your country of origin, additional requisites to the presentation of the pass may apply. Quarantine measures may be required, or the prohibition of entry into France in the event of a significant epidemic situation in the country of origin. Check the website https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Attestation... (FR)
https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Certificate... (ENG)
In order to guarantee as much as possible your safety and that of others, it is recommended to scrupulously follow:
- the social distancing in force (FR) (ENG) (may evolve according to the health context)
- the regulations in force concerning the conditions of travel from one place to another
- the conditions of access to places and facilities open to the public
If you do not have a health pass,
- delegates, exhibitors and staff involved in the opening of the Congress: you can get tested at the Congress Test Centre
- general public: do not show up at the entrance of the event until you have regularized your situation
Before or during the event, if you experience symptoms, stay isolated in your place of stay, get an antigenic or RT-PCR test as soon as possible and follow the barrier gestures.
Depending on the result, follow the health recommendations. Seek advice from the nearest pharmacy or your doctor.
In case of aggravated symptoms, call 112 or 15.
The Congress antigenic/RT-PCR testing centre will be dedicated to delegates, exhibitors and staff involved in the opening of the Congress, who are not vaccinated and who need to renew their antigen or RT-PCR test in order to access the Congress.
It will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. from 01/09/21 to 10/09/21, and will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on 11/09/21.
The centre will carry out antigenic tests, the results of which will be available within 30 minutes. On request, the centre can perform RT-PCR tests, the results of which will be available within 12h to 24h.
The results of the tests will be communicated by email as well as by the SI-DEP system for beneficiaries of French health insurance, allowing automatic updates of the TousAntiCovid app.
The tests will be free for French people and for a fee for foreign visitors, around EUR 22 for an antigen test and EUR 44 for an RT-PCR test.
In order to facilitate operational management, an online appointment system will be available from 23/08/21 through this link. Select “Centre de test - Congrès UICN – Marseille” or “Test Center – IUCN Congress – Marseille” when filling in the form. People with appointments will be given priority.
You must have a French health pass to access:
- long distance transportation (domestic flights, highspeed trains, interregional trains);
- bars and restaurants;
- cultural places: cinemas, theatres, museums, etc.;
- leisure places: discos, amusement parks, etc.;
- department stores and shopping centres of more than 20,000m2;
- hospitals and health facilities, except for emergencies;
- trade shows (including the IUCN World Conservation Congress).
The French health pass is based on the presentation of a French or EU compatible QR code to prove:
- a complete vaccination scheme with one of the vaccines recognized in France (last dose + 7 days, or + 28 days for Johnson & Johnson);
- an RTPCR or antigenic test of less than 72 hours;
- a positive RTPCR or antigenic (immunity) test of more than 15 days and up to a maximum of 6 months after the test.
The QR Code can be presented either on a paper certificate or uploaded to the French TousAntiCovid App, available from the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
Since the implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate, the QR codes of the European Union countries as well as Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Switzerland, England and Wales are recognized by the TousAntiCovid App and will therefore enable the use of the health pass in all required places.
Access to places requiring the French health pass will not be guaranteed for other countries that do not have a TousAntiCovid App or EU Digital Covid Certificate compatible QR code and showing a certificate issued in their country.
- At the entrance of the Congress, reception staff will consider paper or digital evidence in order to grant you access to the Congress.
This evidence must be clearly readable and indicate, at least, in the Roman letters :
-
- the name/surname of the person;
- the name of the vaccine or test;
- the number of doses;
- vaccination or test dates;
- the test result.
In case of doubt or unclear information, the participant will be invited to do an antigenic or RT-PCR test at the Congress test centre located at Gate A.
- You might be denied access to all other places requiring a French health pass. Some places will agree to consider your paper evidence without a QR code, others will only accept a French or EU compatible QR code. In order to avoid these inconveniences as much as possible, several options are available:
- Do an antigenic or RT-PCR test in France. A French QR code will then be issued that you can upload to the TousAntiCovid App. It will be valid for 72 hours. These tests can be done either by appointment in one of the laboratories (antigenic test or RT-PCR) listed here, or without an appointment at the test tents arranged in front of pharmacies (antigenic test).
- For those vaccinated with a vaccine approved in France, ask now for a compatible QR Code in France following the procedure described here. As this procedure is recent and in high demand, we cannot guaranteed that you will receive your QR code before or during the Congress but we strongly advise you to request it anyway.
About the issuing of visas
IUCN policies related to visas remain the same. For participants who have already registered and received an invitation letter to support their visa applications, the registration agency will make updated invitation letters and will contact you via email once they are available.
For all participants who need a visa to come to Marseille, please check the following official websites on a regular basis:
- https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/france-visas/welcome-page
- https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coronavirus-advice-for-foreign-nationals-in-france/
Information about the dates as of when participants should apply for a visa will be published on the website in due course.
About the Members’ Assembly
Contact:
Members’ Assembly: Assembly@iucn.org
Motions: motions@iucn.org
For the institutional stability of IUCN, a number of decision items included in the agenda of the Members' Assembly such as the IUCN Programme and the Mandates of the IUCN Commissions 2021-24, were adopted by electronic vote of IUCN Members, on 10 February 2021. For details, please refer to the ‘decisions for e-vote prior to Congress’ page on the Congress website.
All other decisions will be approved during a shorter Members’ Assembly held in conjunction with the Forum and Exhibition during the Congress.
Following the decision of the IUCN Council to refer a number of decision items included in the agenda to an electronic vote of IUCN Members at the beginning of 2021, IUCN Members voted electronically on 12 decision items between 27 January and 10 February 2021. The decisions adopted during the electronic vote became effective on 10 February 2021, the date of the closing of the vote. Note, however, that the IUCN Programme and Financial Plan 2021-24 as well as the Commission mandates 2021-2024 will apply to the full four calendar years starting on 1 January 2021.
- IUCN Programme and Financial Plan 2021-24
- Membership Dues Guide
- Members’ Rescission List
- Appointment of External Auditors
- Financial Statements 2016 to 2019
- Mandates of the IUCN Commissions.
For details regarding the electronic vote, please refer to the ‘decisions for e-vote prior to Congress’ page on the Congress website.
As a result of submitting a number of decision items to the electronic vote of IUCN Members between 27 January and 10 February 2021, the length of the Members’ Assembly session has been reduced to three days. The Members’ Assembly agenda will be updated and published on 3 June 2021.
In some instances, yes Members participating remotely will be able to vote. Please note the following:
- IUCN Council elections shall be held by an online vote open to all IUCN Members eligible to vote (present in Marseille or not). For details, please refer to the elections page.
- Voting on motions and decision items other than elections shall take place by duly accredited delegates of IUCN Members onsite during the Members’ Assembly. For details, see the full decision C104/2 here.
- Contact Groups shall be organized virtually to allow Members off-site to participate in the discussion of content of motions.
The entire Members' Assembly will be live-streamed and the recordings of each sitting made available for delayed viewing soon after they close.
Members should note that the online vote on elections and the onsite vote on motions and other decision items are two completely separate processes. More information and details will follow within the coming days and weeks but a table summarising the two processes can be found below.
Members may submit motions at the Congress with the co-sponsorship of at least 10 other Members from at least two Regions, so long as they are both “new” and “urgent”.
Following amendments to the Statutes in 2019, motions meeting these criteria “shall be submitted from one week prior to the opening of the Congress until the end of the plenary sittings on the first day of the Members' Assembly." This means that submission of new and urgent motions are to be submitted from 27 August to 4 September (06:45 am UTC). . A template will be provided in due course.
The IUCN Council has developed a short companion document to the IUCN Programme 2021–2024 – Nature 2030, which it considers necessary to systematically address the broader implications of the pandemic and human health that have emerged since the original Programme document was first developed.
The draft document is intended to provide high-level strategic guidance to all IUCN constituencies as to how the existing ambitions within Nature 2030 can be fully harnessed in the context of the pandemic, recovery from it, and in view of greater global attention to human health.
A Member consultation on the draft Addendum to the IUCN Programme took place between 1 April - 1 May 2021 and the revised version will be published on 3 June 2021. The final draft version will be tabled for discussion and adoption during the Congress as a formal addendum to the Programme.
In addition, Members will also address the issue of COVID-19 pandemic, during the discussion of issues of strategic importance for the Union, as the topics have been strengthened by adding a focus on the impact of COVID‑19 on conservation.
About the Forum
Contact: congressforum@iucn.org
The content of the Forum programme will be updated to reflect the new realities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impacts on the global nature and biodiversity agenda. The website will be updated accordingly. The Forum team will contact session organisers directly with further information on revisions to content.
IUCN and the French government have explored various scenarios, including a fully virtual Forum event. In its current planned format, the Forum is a “hybrid” event: a wide range of Forum sessions happening onsite will be live-streamed and available through the “Congress essentials” virtual package to enable online participation from a broad global audience, and the majority of these sessions will also be available for replay afterwards. In addition the speaker pitches, will be delivered in a fully virtual format. .
Webinars with professional coaches and facilitators will need to be rescheduled. Session coordinators will communicate the revised webinar schedule to all session organisers via email in due course.
The Forum team will communicate options for replacing an in-person session with a virtual event directly to all session organisers via email.
At this stage no action is required from social/cultural events and private meetings organisers. IUCN and the Host Country intend to host as many proposals accepted through the call for social/cultural events and private meetings as possible. However, based on the health and security measures that will apply at the time of the Congress, we may not be able to accommodate all the events. The Forum team will revert back to the social/cultural and private meetings organisers to inform them of the feasibility of their project for the Congress, in due course.
About the Congress Exhibition
Contact: iucn@congrex.com
The in-person exhibition is maintained and will be open from 4 to 9 September 2021 with free access to the general public from 10:00 to 17:30 every day and access for registered participants from 09:30 to 21:00 every day. In addition, there will be an inauguration of the Exhibition hall on 3 September 2021 from 19:00 to 21:00 (open to registered participants only).
Find the list of Exhibitors here: https://www.iucncongress2020.org/event/exhibition/exhibitors
In light of the new Congress format, the Exhibition floor plan might need to be adjusted. Exhibitors will receive more information on how this decision will impact them shortly.
The deadlines set in the revised version of the contract/terms and conditions are still valid and the logistics team will get in touch with all exhibitors regularly regarding any other deadlines. The Exhibitor Manual will also be updated to include the new Congress format.
The French government and IUCN, together with local authorities are working on a variety of health and safety precautions for the Congress including in the exhibition. This plan will include changes to the event layout and/or timetables to ensure adequate physical distancing and/or physical barriers where necessary, as well as an updated cleaning and disinfection protocol for cleaning and housekeeping contractors. The venue will have hand washing and hand sanitizer at all critical locations. Our objective is to make sure that participants, exhibitors, visitors and all staff/contractors attending the Congress can enjoy a safe event.
It will be the exhibitor’s responsibility to ensure that its stand personnel or contracted staff are provided with sufficient equipment (masks, disinfectant gel, etc.) in line with the official recommendation applicable at the Congress, if any.
About partnerships and sponsorships with IUCN
Contact: congresspartnerships@iucn.org
The partnership and sponsorship agreements already signed will remain valid. IUCN will contact as soon as possible the interested organisations’ point of contact to discuss further details.
About partnerships with France
Contact : philippe.appriou@developpement-durable.gouv.fr
Partnerships are still in high demand and new partnerships can still be negotiated. For partnerships under discussion, the process will continue as normal with your usual contacts from the Ministry. For partnerships already concluded, they remain valid but may be subject to adaptations to be validated by the parties to best meet the new conditions for organising the event.
Information for journalists
Contact: congressmedia@iucn.org
The IUCN Congress remains an important milestone in driving conservation action, protecting biodiversity and promoting nature’s role in achieving sustainable development. Details on the virtual and in-person programme will follow shortly.
For journalists attending the event in person, workspaces and facilities will be made available with all necessary safety measures in place. Wherever possible under sanitary protocols, journalists will have access to all physical events held at Congress.
Accredited journalists covering the Congress remotely will be able to follow all virtual sessions through the Congress web application free of charge.
All press conferences and high-level events will be live-streamed.
About the Nature Generation Areas
Contact: egn@ofb.gouv.fr
The overall concept of the Nature Generations Areas remains unchanged from what was planned for June 2020. These will always be conceived as a biodiversity village, which will allow everyone to meet committed actors and to mobilize themselves in favour of life on Earth through playful, innovative and original experiences.
The Ministry of Ecological Transition and the French Biodiversity Agency may have to modify the layout and programming of the Nature Generations Areas in order to best meet the health requirements and the new context. However, these will be minor adjustments, which will not put into question the initial orientations of the event.
Any changes will be posted on the page dedicated to the Nature Generations Areas on the Congress website, which will be updated regularly.
The programme of the Nature Generations Areas will be built on the basis of the many projects initially selected. No additional calls for proposals are planned at this time.
The Nature Generations Areas team will contact each project leader at the beginning of 2021 to include their activity in the September programming, and define whether this new postponement requires adjustments (format, content, target audience...).
Project leaders can of course contact the Nature Generations Areas team, which remains at their disposition to answer any question or to receive any information about their project.
The Nature Generations Areas will take place as planned and will be open free of charge to the general public from 4 to 11 September: students, families, schoolchildren, professionals, young and not so young... are still welcome! The opening hours are from 10 AM to 7 PM every day. The EGN will be open during the evening on Saturday the 4th until 10 PM
These public access modalities might be modified slightly if the health situation so requires. The teams will make every effort to ensure that this does not compromise the planned visits, and does not put into question the vast access of the general public to these Areas, which shows the collective mobilization in favour of life on Earth.