IUCN World Conservation Congress 2012

The IUCN World Conservation Congress is a large, conservation event held every four years. Bringing together government leaders, the public sector, non-governmental organizations, business, UN agencies and social organisations, the conference aims to improve how our natural environment is managed for human, social and economic development.

IUCN members and partners will meet to discuss and share ideas and practise at ‘The Forum’, held from 7 to 11 September and open to the public. Decisions on the programme and policies of IUCN and the election of its governing body will take place during a members Assembly, which is not open to the public.

Watch these videos to find out more about the conference’s key themes.

World Leader’s Dialogue

IIED’s Director, Camilla Toulmin, will be participating in the World Leader's Dialogue on Nature + food security: Can we feed the world sustainably?
 

Date: 8 September
Time: 17:00 -18.30 pm
Location: Tamna Hall

The entire day will be dedicated to the theme “valuing and conserving nature” and the Forum will feature practical workshops on biodiversity.

Session moderator:

Ms. Solange MÁRQUEZ ESPINOZA Journalist & Political Analyst

Session panellists:

H.E. Mr. Tae Pyong JANG Former Minister for Food, Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries of Republic, Korea

Mr. Michael MACK CEO, Syngenta

Pr. Dr. M.S. SWAMINATHAN Member of Parliament Rajya Sabha, India

Ms. Camilla TOULMIN Director, International Institute for Environment and Development

Find out how you can influence the debate by sending your questions to the conference organisers about the themes before 31 August 2012.

Staff from IIED are involved in running a number of workshops at the World Conservation Congress.

Using Ecosystems and Traditional Knowledge to Help People Adapt to Climate Change: Building the Evidence Base

This workshop will evaluate the evidence base and examine the emerging role of ecosystem-based adaptation, agrobiodiversity and traditional knowledge. Krystyna Swiderska and Dilys Roe, both Senior Researcher with IIED’s Natural Resources Group  are taking part in the workshop organised by Conservation International with IIED, UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, The World Bank, BirdLife International as partners.

Date: 10 September
Time: 11 – 13:00
Location: Room Halla B
Follow the discussion on twitter: #Forum0776

Find out more about the issues covered in this session:

Adapting agriculture with traditional knowledge

Community Biocultural Protocols: Building Mechanisms for Access and Benefit Sharing Among the Communities of the Potato Park Based on Quechua Customary Norms (Summary Report)

Use it or Lose it: Protecting the Traditional Knowledge, Genetic Resources and Customary Laws of Marginal Farmers in Southwest China

Biodiversity and culture: exploring community protocols, rights and consent (PLA 65)

Conservation and Poverty, Landscapes and Livelihoods - What have we learnt about the links?

This session will share lessons learned on the linkages between biodiversity conservation, livelihoods and poverty alleviation, and the various factors (such as markets and governance, rights and tenure, and policies) that impact those linkages. During the second half of the session representatives from local organisations will share and describe their work on conservation and development, and members of the audience can choose which experiences they want to learn more about during ‘speed dating’ and final question and answer sessions. Dilys Roe, an IIED Senior Researcher in the Natural Resources Group and leader of the Biodiversity team is running the workshop in collaboration with the IUCN Forest Conservation Programme and the African Wildlife Foundation.

Date: 10 September
Time: 14:30 - 16:30
Location: Room 104
Follow the discussion on twitter: #Forum0756

IIED is the conference organiser with partners IUCN Forest Conservation Programme (FCP), UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF).

Find out more about the issues covered in this session:

Biodiversity and Poverty: Ten Frequently Asked Questions – Ten Policy Implications

Look both ways: mainstreaming biodiversity and poverty reduction

Social assessment of conservation initiatives: A review of rapid methodologies