The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas has compiled the voices of a range of global organisations and world leaders on the importance of protecting and conserving nature amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This compilation aims to capture a critical moment, as we work together to build the momentum for transformative action to address the major crises of our planet by maintaining nature and ecosystems.

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In 2021, in addition to the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the global community will also strive to adopt a new Global Biodiversity Framework. Therefore, our Vital Sites series of online events will take a renewed focus this year, to ensure that the most important issues relating to the developing Global Biodiversity Framework are featured in an engaging and strategic manner.

Register now for upcoming events on topics including the Diagnostic Tool for Transboundary Conservation Planners, the launch of the IUCN WCPA Best Practice Guidelines on Geoconservation, and using the new Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT-4).

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January 2021 saw France launch its 'National Strategy for Protected Areas 2030', which aims to protect 30% of natural areas in metropolitan and overseas territories in the next decade, of which 10% is to be under enhanced protection.

The document emphasises seven key objectives and 18 operational measures to improve performance and to promote success stories for all protected areas, two of which explicitly promote the IUCN Green List as a way to support experience-sharing. France has been actively involved in the IUCN Green List initiative since the Pilot phase in 2013, with 15 sites registered to date.

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The U.S. President recently signed the latest in a series of environment-focused executive orders. One of the most ambitious of these is to conserve nearly a third of US land and ocean waters by 2030. Currently, only 12 percent of the country’s land and 26 percent of its oceans are protected.

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Three Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance, Curral Velho, Lac Sofia, and Rugezi Burera Ruhondo are among the areas that benefit from recent funding from the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States through the BIOPAMA programme.

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During COP21 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 18 Latin American countries highlighted the role of protected areas for implementing climate change mitigation and adaptation, by providing the "green infrastructure" required. This Declaration is based on the interrelation between biodiversity and climate change. 

The resulting REDPARQUES Declaration states that protected areas offer the opportunity to stabilise the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere, to guarantee the sustainable use of ecosystem services, to reduce the vulnerability of communities, and to meet the necessary conditions for adaptation processes.

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The unique convening power of the National Coordinating Body of Mangroves for the Future Pakistan and its multi-stakeholder membership has provided a cross-sectoral platform to establish a marine protected area around Astola Island. Baseline surveys provided decision-makers with the information they needed to determine the importance of the area. Continued advocacy and the development of awareness-raising materials helped to raise the profile of Astola Island. These factors led to the successful designation of the Astola marine protected area.

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Lao PDR has confirmed the nomination of Hin Nam No National Park in the Khammuan province to the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas.

"The approval of the Lao government to proceed with IUCN Green List certification for Hin Nam No National Park is a big step toward our goal of having our national park obtain international recognition status and another important step towards UNESCO World Heritage nomination,” said the Deputy Governor of Khammuan province, Mr Bounmy Phimmasone.

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Near the World Heritage and Green Listed site Wadi Al-Hitan, in Fayoum, one of the oldest cities in Egypt, an IUCN Green List orientation workshop was organised by the IUCN Regional Office for West Asia, in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Sector of the Ministry of Environment, on 26-27 December 2020. Participants were introduced to the IUCN Green List, including an in-depth look at the Standard’s components, criteria, and indicators.

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The Expert Assessment Group (EAGL) for the Green List in Zambia has been established, involving no less than 15 members. With a wide array of expertise in management effectiveness, this EAGL is also noteworthy for its gender balance. A two-day virtual training was organised on 25-26 January 2021 by ASI (the Assurance provider for the Green List) with the support of the IUCN Green List team.

The next steps are adapting the indicators to the Zambian context and to support four protected and conserved areas applications in the country.

The PANORAMA platform now features more than 800 solutions. With over 100,000 visits from 117 countries shedding light on the growth of the community, diverse voices present on the platform showcase the success of cross-sectoral learning and inspiration.

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The session has already started, but you can still enrol, as every student follows the MOOC of their choice at their own pace.

In the past, some learners enrolled only a week before registrations closed and still managed to complete the course. This time, we have completely changed platforms, so if you participated in a previous session, you will need to create a new account.

The same MOOCs remain available as before: Protected area management, Ecological monitoring, Law enforcement, Species conservation, Valorisation of protected area resources and New technologies. New courses will be rolled out over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

Enrol now at mooc-conservation.org

What is the greatest value of Conservation Outlook Assessments for World Heritage sites? What impact do these assessments have on the decisions taken by the World Heritage Committee? Catch up on the webinar that marked the release of the IUCN World Heritage Outlook 3, launched in December 2020, where a diverse panel of experts answered questions from participants.

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IUCN World Heritage Outlook 3 builds on three cycles of Conservation Outlook Assessments undertaken since 2014. It presents the main results for 2020, but also some longer-term trends based on a comparison of three data sets now available. As such, it can serve as an indicator of the effectiveness of protected and conserved areas at a time when the international community seeks to measure progress towards global biodiversity targets and defines the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Focusing on the natural values for which sites are inscribed, threats to these values, and the effectiveness of actions to protect them, the IUCN World Heritage Outlook assesses the conservation prospects of all natural World Heritage sites.

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Il y a un fort consensus scientifique que la connectivité des systèmes naturels devrait être une priorité mondiale face aux changements climatiques et la crise de la perte de biodiversité. Aujourd’hui, le Groupe de spécialistes de la conservation de la connectivité annonce la publication de la version française des lignes directrices mondiales pour la conservation de la connectivité écologique de la nature.

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The cultural and spiritual significance that nature holds to people from Indigenous groups, mainstream religions and the general public, can help make protected and conserved areas more diverse, sustainable and socially equitable. It is with this in mind that we announce the release of the IUCN Best Practice Guidelines - “Cultural and spiritual significance of nature: Guidance for protected and conserved area governance and management”.

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This issue includes new papers on the current situation among rangers in the world, based on the white papers commissioned by the Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA). The URSA Global Action Plan (2021-2025) adopts a rights-based approach to help rangers and those working with rangers to support them to do their jobs effectively and responsibly.

The white papers, written by thematic experts, provide the first comprehensive situational analysis and recommendations for the ranger sector, and the foundations of the Global Action Plan.

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In 2020, the Berkeley Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity facilitated a collaboration to explore conservation and natural resource issues, frame a vision for 21st century conservation policies, and accelerate progress towards ambitious conservation goals. The resulting 'Conservation Conversations' group has released a new report that compiles summaries, key observations, and policy recommendations from the series into a single document.

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Over the past six months, the NPS has continued to adapt to the challenging conditions resulting from the global pandemic which constrained traditional methods of international conservation engagement. This bulletin includes discusses the ongoing cooperation between NPS staff and international counterparts.

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New dates – 3-11 September 2021 in Marseille

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the French government have agreed to hold the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020 from 3 to 11 September 2021 in Marseille. The event, originally scheduled for June 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world is increasingly recognising the inextricable link between biodiversity conservation and human and economic well-being, a connection made all the more visible by the COVID-19 pandemic. The IUCN Congress will be a key milestone for nature conservation and the development of a new global framework for biodiversity. The French government and IUCN remain steadfast in their commitment to these goals.

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Comment favoriser le maintien des services rendus par la nature comme le maintien de la qualité de notre eau potable et la diminution des risques d’inondations? Les changements climatiques et ses effets sur la biodiversité sont-ils pour vous une source de préoccupation? Avez-vous envie de vous aligner avec des efforts de conservation mondiaux sans trop savoir comment?

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The Diagnostic Tool for Transboundary Conservation Planners aims to support the decision-making process leading to the institutionalisation of transboundary conservation.

This webinar features some of the key figures that have been involved in the development of the tool, as well as those who have used it in a variety of settings in Africa, Europe, and the U.S.A. Participants will have the opportunity to hear insights related to these aspects, as well as engaging directly with the presenters, to add their own perspectives and/or to pose questions.

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These new Best Practice Guidelines are the first to address a fundamental part of nature, the protection of geodiversity and geoheritage. The guidelines describe nine fundamental principles of geoconservation provide examples. In particular, the guidelines focus on how to establish geoconservation in protected and conserved areas alone or as an addition to existing systems for biodiversity and cultural diversity conservation.

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PART 1: Learn more about the new edition of the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT-4). The METT is the most widely used protected area management effectiveness assessment system globally. METT-4 (the fourth edition of the METT and the first revision since 2007) draws together the lessons learned from applying the tool around the world and includes new and emerging management issues since the last iteration, as well as more detailed assessments of outcomes including condition of natural and cultural values, key species, and habitats.

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PART 2: The new edition of the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT-4) has been designed to be filled in electronically, using a simple and accessible Excel format. This session will introduce the Excel sheets and their functions. This will be followed by a focus on emerging questions (e.g. linking previous METT data, results and trends with the new version) and a Q&A session.

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Since its establishment in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. IUCN’s new legacy gift options will help ensure IUCN keeps playing this essential role for years to come.

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