Additional outcomes from the World Conservation Congress in September included:

  • IUCN members passed a motion that asks states to advance the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This includes contributing to the ongoing UN negotiations to develop a legally binding instrument that, among other things, would establish a framework for high seas MPAs.
  • An alliance of several leading conservation organizations announced a joint program to identify, map, and conserve key biodiversity areas (KBAs) worldwide, including in the marine environment. The KBA Partnership builds on existing work by Birdlife International to identify Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas. In parallel to the partnership announcement, IUCN released a report outlining a new global standard for identifying KBAs.
  • IUCN presented the Fred Packard Award to Alessandra Vanzella-Khouri and Georgina Bustamante in recognition of their work to advance MPA management in the Caribbean region for over 20 years, including through the Caribbean Marine Protected Area Management (CaMPAM) Network and other initiatives. Congratulations to Alessandra and Georgina!
  • Mission Blue (led by Sylvia Earle) and IUCN added 14 new ocean “Hope Spots” to their list of areas deemed critical to the health of the ocean and deserving special protection. There are now 76 Hope Spots worldwide.
  • A webinar on highlights from the WCC, featuring Dan Laffoley of WCPA – Marine and Lauren Wenzel of the NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center, was held on 4 October. The video recording is here.
  • OpenChannels.org and MPA News hosted a live blog of the entire WCC, from the opening ceremony all the way through the members’ assembly. It is available here.