World Commission on Protected Areas

WCPA Oceania Objectives

Sa'anapu marine protected area, Samoa

Photo: IUCN Imène Meliane

To pursue IUCN WCPA’s global mission and advocate for key agreed strategic directions   
The VC and other WCPA are prominent in meetings within Australia to champion positive protected area outcomes. We need greater capacity in New Zealand and in the Pacific. The VC has held meetings in New Zealand and in WA, NSW, and Tasmania Queensland and recently in South Australia to champion the global agenda of WCPA and the directions generated by the IUCN World Parks Congress (2014) and IUCN World Conservation Congress (2016).   

To create and maintain a knowledge network of experts in protected areas and conservation   

  • we continue to recruit members so our current numbers are well over 350;
  • WCPA continues to run the foremost knowledge network on protected areas with 6 substantial newsletters so far this year and other information bulletins shared via a list server with some 500 protected areas professionals from across Oceania - these can be viewed or  downloaded from www.aciucn.org under Resources;
  •  WCPA members contributed an additional 45 substantial posts to share protected area knowledge.
  • the Vice Chair is frequently links people both nationally and internationally and assisting with requests for expertise on environmental matters;
  • responded to numerous international and national requests for information;
  • continued to ensure renewal of previous members and recruit new members, particularly seeking promising younger professionals and Indigenous members. Some 40 new members in 2017.

To ensure WCPA representation in various forums 

Many WCPA Oceania members: 

  • participate in various specialist groups and task forces – Oceania members of WCPA lead Health and Wellbeing; Green List; Marine Young Professionals(co lead); Science and Management and Mountains and Large Marine Areas(co lead);  
  • volunteered to be Expert Reviewers for 23 World Heritage sites in the Oceania Region;
  • shared their expertise at key conservation meetings .

The VC in 2017: 

  • addressed the National Threatened Species forum in WA on Protected Areas and Species Conservation International Trends;
  • engaged with WWF, WCS, Birdlife Australia and IUCN to begin the process of developing Key Biodiversity Areas in Australia;
  • engaged with the Academy of Sciences and Australian National University to discuss an Australian body to support collaboration to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals;
  • represented WCPA at National Forum on Sustainable Development Goals convened by the Commonwealth Government;
  • participated in a National Forum on the National Reserve System convened by the Commonwealth Government;
  • participated in and spoke at the 2017 National Private Land Conservation Conference in Hobart, Tasmania.

To partner with others to hold meetings and events of relevance to the WCPA agenda

Some key contributions of the VC, working with many members of the WCPA, in 2017:

  • organised New Zealand Members Meeting with Chair and Deputy Chair to discuss taking forward Promise of Sydney and WCC directions;
  • organised Sydney Members Meeting with Chair and Deputy Chair to discuss taking forward Promise of Sydney and WCC directions;
  • had meetings with Parks Victoria to take forward Health and Nature initiative;
  • met with the leaders of the Mountains Specialist Group;
  • organised Western Australian Members Meeting to discuss taking forward Promise of Sydney and WCC directions.;
  • met with the Governor of Western Australia, Hon Kerry Sanderson AC to further Nature for all and Health and Parks Agenda;
  • addressed the staff of Parks Tasmania to discuss taking forward Promise of Sydney and WCC directions
  • compiled comments on the latest Management Plans for the Commonwealth Marine Protected Areas;
  • assisted organisation of a forum on ‘Beyond Aichi’ IUCN’s effort to influence the new CBD 2020-30 Targets which will follow the Aichi targets set in 2010.   

To generate publications to encourage good protected area policy

In recent years WCPA Members including the Vice Chair have been contributors to major meetings and produced significant publications in partnership with the Australian Committee for IUCN..

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