IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC)

The Government of Rwanda will host the inaugural IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) in March 2022, to discuss conservation of the continent’s protected areas. Through the Congress, all partners hope to achieve African leadership commitment towards creating a unified African voice in conservation that will value African people and nature through effective protected areas.

Following a postponement on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress will be held from 18 – 23 July2022, convened by the Government of Rwanda, the International Union for Conservation of Nature - World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN-WCPA) and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) in collaboration with partners.

The Congress is expected to review Africa’s overall progress towards implementing global commitments related to conservation as well as discuss challenges related to biodiversity and showcase inspiring African examples of sustainable solutions that harmonize conservation and human development goals.

Key conservation organisations and development partners have been actively engaged in the planning process for APAC, the first of its kind continent-wide gathering of African leaders, citizens, businesses and interest groups to discuss the role of protected areas in conserving nature and promoting sustainable development in Africa.

This landmark forum aims to position Africa’s protected areas within the broader goals of sustainable development and community well-being. The Congress will advance an ambitious agenda that will inspire sustainable solutions for today's most pressing conservation and livelihood challenges in Africa. It will bring together political and community leaders, protected area practitioners, professionals from diverse fields, scholars, researchers, the youth, partners and stakeholders from public and private sectors from across the continent - to discuss how to protect Africa’s resources, and to develop a strong and united voice in the management of protected areas, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

Over 2000 delegates from every African country will forge partnerships and commitments to help secure a sustainable future for Africa’s protected areas, people and biodiversity. Participants will identify key issues and challenges, and showcase inspiring African examples of practical, innovative, sustainable and replicable solutions that harmonize conservation and human development goals. They will also develop priorities and strategies on issues of common interest and provide consolidated African input into the development of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The forum will report on the progress made in implementing relevant regional and global commitments and identify new steps and alliances to address Africa’s unique challenges.

A new paradigm for protected areas, defining and advancing the role of governance, sustainable finance, capacity development, private and community conservation trends, conflicts, social equity and benefit sharing will be on the agenda. The outcome of this effort will contribute to achieving the vision of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 of “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in international arena”.

Learn more at the official APAC website.