Panama to host next World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress

The IUCN World Conservation Congress has announced that Panamá will host the seventh IUCN World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress in 2027.

The Congress is the premier global forum for setting the agenda for protected and conserved areas. It brings together leaders and experts from governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, academia and the private sector to develop and advance solutions for nature conservation involving effective area-based conservation

Since the last Congress in 2014 in Sydney, Australia, biodiversity loss, climate impacts, social injustice and inequality, conflict as well as socio-political fragmentation have worsened, according to IUC

“Effective and equitable protected and conserved areas have a significant role to play; they conserve biodiversity, address inequity in society and can make a significant contribution to addressing global challenges. The IUCN World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress 2027 will take place in the final years of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, coinciding also with the 2030 endpoint for the Sustainable Development Goals, and will be uniquely positioned to inform and set the agenda for the ensuing decades.”

For the first time, the Congress will be held in the Mesoamerica region, which boasts diverse biodiversity conserved by governments, civil society, as well as Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Panamanian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Juan Carlos Navarro said:

“Panama is the crossroads of the world.? A natural land-bridge between North and South America and the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans, with exceptional biodiversity and the planet’s best example of sustainable development:? the Panama Canal. We look forward to hosting this global meeting so as to showcase our national parks and nature reserves, to share our effective field-based conservation efforts on the ground and to promote immediate and powerful conservation actions globally.”

While IUCN Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar added:

“We are delighted that Panama will host the IUCN World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress in 2027. As one of the world’s most biodiverse countries – where tropical forests, mangroves, coral reefs, and oceans converge, Panama offers the perfect stage for this global gathering. At a decisive moment for our planet, this Congress will unite leaders and communities to accelerate action for biodiversity, climate, and people, and to chart a bold path toward a sustainable and resilient future for all.”

Source: Deep Blue