Held every four years, the IUCN World Conservation Congress is the world’s largest and most important conservation event. Thousands of participants attended from 1 to 10 September 2016 in Honolulu, Hawai’i in the United States of America.
The Congress has two components: a Forum where IUCN members and partners discuss cutting edge ideas, thinking and practice and a Members’ Assembly that is a unique global environmental parliament of governments and NGOs.
CEC Members' Meeting
The CEC Members' Meeting took place on 1 September from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm. The objective of this members meeting is to celebrate CEC results, honour contributions through CEC awards, highlight CEC priorities and present the strategic plan for the IUCN Programme 2017-2020, inform about CEC activities during the IUCN Congress and coordinate tasks, meet and greet members, and provide a space for CEC members to share and discuss topics of interest. All CEC members present in Honolulu, Hawai’i are welcome to attend.
Election of a new CEC Chair
IUCN Members elected a new Council for 2017-20 at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. Elections were held for the positions of President, Treasurer, Chairs of Commissions and Regional Councillors. For CEC, Sean Southey was elected as new Chair and Katalin Czippán agreed to serve as Deputy Chair.
Workshops (Room 312)
CEC had various two-hour interactive and facilitated workshops to give participants an opportunity to find out how they can apply new communication techniques to their own situation. Four workshops are highlighted:
New Technology to Power Conservation and Nature Experience and Learning (9/2/16, RM312 @17:00-19:00);
Environment and Security: Challenges for Change (9/4/16, RM312 @11:00-13:00);
“As The World Burns”: Storytelling for Conservation (9/3/16, RM310 @14:30-16:30);
and On-line best practices tool kit for enabling youth to experience and connect with nature (9/4/16, RM301 @11:00-13:00).
Conservation Campus
Following the success of the Learning Opportunities at the 2008 Congress in Barcelona, and the 2012 Congress in Jeju, the IUCN World Conservation Congress featured this year a Conservation Campus. The Conservation Campus briought together experts from all over the world to share their knowledge with Congress participants.
The CEC Pavilion “#NatureForAll” was located in the Main Exhibition area. The Pavilions provide a great opportunity to learn about the most innovative partnerships that will drive conservation globally in the coming few years and talk to the right people, in a more informal and relaxed atmosphere.