Photo: IUCN / Dan Laffoley
Since 2009 the WCPA Chair reorganised the Commission to have one Vice Chair for the IUCN region of Oceania. However, to reflect the vast distances and differences in land tenures and socio economic factors, as well as the great difficulty of getting people together across such a large region in a voluntary network, the Oceania Vice Chair has previously appointed Deputies in the Pacific Islands and New Zealand. In the period to 2020 WCPA is changing to a system of country based focal points.
The Australia/New Zealand Region currently has some 350 members with the majority in Australia. New Zealand and the Pacific have fewer members but membership is building in both. The ‘tyranny of distance’ and cost make it difficult to have close contact but we had a strong showing of members at the 2014 World Parks Congress and digital connectivity shows promise of greater linkages.
The network includes many of the leading figures in biodiversity conservation, protected areas policy and management from government, academia, non-government organisations and consultancies. Although the network has traditionally included senior people with a capacity to volunteer, WCPA has committed to goal of increasing membership among younger conservation professionals who show strong potential to be future leaders.
WCPA in Australia, has along with other IUCN Commissions strongly benefitted from the reactivation of the National Committee for IUCN(ACIUCN) since 2011 which has brought with it many opportunities for the Commission to partner with the national Committee and for members to participate in the ACIUCN Science Informing Policy meetings and resultant publications.
