In July 2022, the ICCA Consortium is organising and participating in three back-to-back events in Kigali, Rwanda: the Consortium’s second Africa Regional Assembly (14-15 July); the pre-Congress Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ workshop (16-17 July, co-organised by the Indigenous Movement for Peace and Conflict Transformation (IMPACT) and the ICCA Consortium); and the IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress (18-23 July).
ICCA CONSORTIUM AFRICA REGIONAL ASSEMBLY
From 14-15 July, the ICCA Consortium’s second Africa Regional Assembly brought together more than 70 people, including representatives from nearly 50 Member organisations in the region. After significant efforts to strengthen the ongoing regionalisation process in Africa, particularly through national and sub-regional assemblies, the pan-African assembly provided an opportunity for Members and Honorary members to take stock of current issues in their communities, national contexts, and the continent as a whole, to reflect on the desired future for the ICCA Consortium in the region, and to collectively develop a declaration.
(English translation is approximate). Key outcomes will be shared here when available.
PRE-CONGRESS INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES’ WORKSHOP
From 16-17 July, IMPACT (Member) and the ICCA Consortium co-organised a dedicated workshop for Indigenous Peoples and local communities ahead of the IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress. Nearly 150 people (including those who attended the ICCA Consortium’s Africa Regional Assembly) participated in this important preparatory workshop. Among other things, it aimed to: shine a spotlight on how Indigenous Peoples and local communities are conserving a significant proportion of the world’s biodiversity and nature through their self-determined cultures, ways of life and governance systems; to discuss experiences, challenges, opportunities, and recommendations for appropriate recognition and support for communities’ self-determined priorities for their collective lands, waters and territories; to discuss strategies for advancing the movements for conservation justice and collective land, territorial, and tenure and resource rights in the context of nature conservation (including the proposed 30×30 target); and to support Indigenous and community representatives to prepare for participation in the main IUCN Congress.
Key outcomes, including the workshop declaration, will be shared here when available.
IUCN AFRICA PROTECTED AREAS CONGRESS
The IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress is being held from 18-23 July 2022 at the Kigali Convention Centre in Kigali, Rwanda. The Congress programme consists of several types of events, including: high level panels and leadership dialogues held in plenary; workshops, clinics and campuses held in parallel, organised according to several streams and cross-cutting themes; pavilions; and an exhibition. The ICCA Consortium and many of our Members and Honorary members in Africa are participating in the Congress and organising and presenting in a wide range of events. A non-exhaustive selection is provided below for each day of the Congress. Key outcomes, including the Kigali Call to Action and event-specific summaries, will be added when available.
18 July
“Opening plenary” (High Level Plenary)
16:00-17:30, Auditorium
During the opening plenary, Milka Chepkorir (Honorary member and Secretariat Coordinator, Defending Territories of Life) presented key messages from the pre-Congress IPLC workshop.
Milka Chepkorir presenting during the opening plenary of the Congress. Footage courtesy of IUCN Congress; clip prepared by Ines Hirata/ICCA Consortium.
19 July
“Championing Community-led Conservation in Africa”: Panel on building blocks for effective community-led conservation (Stream 2 parallel plenary)
14:00-17:30, Room MH1
“Tenure and Beyond: The effective alternative to achieving the 30×30 goals”
16:00-17:00, COMIFAC Pavilion
Recording of 19 July morning plenary sessions and Stream 1 parallel plenary on promoting effective and equitable networks of protected and conserved areas in Africa. Courtesy: IUCN Congress
20 July
“To conserve 30% by 2030, need to shift from exclusionary to inclusive conservation” (Stream 2 clinic)
08:30-10:00, Room AD11
“Championing Community-led Conservation in Africa”: Sustaining Community Conservation: The Need for New Funding Models & Practices (Stream 2 parallel plenary)
10:30-12:00, Room MH1
“Pan African Solidarity and Strategies: Centering human rights in conservation and safeguarding biodiversity” (Pavilion)
14:00-16:00, ACBA Pavilion
“Panel 3: Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) – can they fill the gap?” (Stream 1 parallel plenary)
14:00-17:30, Auditorium
“Strengthening inclusive and justice conservation of natural resources in Northern Kenya by facilitating solutions tailored to context, conceived and run by Indigenous Peoples” (Stream 2)
16:00-17:30, Room T3
21 July
“Leadership Dialogue: Upholding rights, promoting good governance and equity” (High Level Plenary)
08:30-10:00, Auditorium
“Governance and PCAs: Governance mechanisms to safeguard biodiversity and PCAs in Africa”: Models of managing PCAs: Co-Management, delegated management, privately managed PAs, conservancies and IPLCs: What are we learning from governance for effective management, and what tools to use (Cross-cutting Theme 1 parallel workshop)
10:30-12:00, Auditorium
“Conflicts and Biodiversity: resource use conflicts as a pathway to security and conservation within and around PCAs”: Conflicts between protected and conserved areas and IPLCs (Cross-cutting Theme 3 parallel workshop)
10:30-12:00, Room MH1
“Sustainable Finance and People: Financial resilience and sustainability are key for long-term success of PCAs”: Building financial resilience for communities and their conserved areas (Cross-cutting Theme 5 parallel workshop)
10:30-12:00, Room AD12
“Local Rights for Conservation: Why IPLC rights are essential for sustainable and resilient conservation” (Pavilion)
11:00-12:30, Sustainability & Resilience Pavilion
“Strengthen human rights of Indigenous Peoples and their protection in World Heritage Sites and protected areas” (Stream 2 workshop)
12:00-14:00, Auditorium
“Conservation by Indigenous Peoples and local communities: innovations in policy and legal pluralism” (Stream 2 workshop) – organised by the ICCA Consortium
16:00-17:30, Room T1
22 July
“Leadership Dialogue: Climate Change and the Biodiversity Nexus” (High Level Plenary)
08:30-10:00, Auditorium
“Governance and Biodiversity: Governance mechanisms to safeguard biodiversity and PCAs in Africa”: Role of IPLCs in PCA management and biodiversity conservation (Cross-cutting Theme 1 parallel workshop)
10:30-12:00, Room T1
“Pathways for inclusive and just conservation” (Pavilion)
11:15-12:30, Sustainability & Resilience Pavilion (Maliasili)
“LMMAs: rights empower IPLCs to be in charge of natural resource management and effective conservation measures” (Stream 2 clinic)
12:00-14:00, Room AD1
“Good Funding for Better Conservation – How to improve funding models, to accelerate community conservation impact” (Pavilion)
13:00-14:00, Sustainability & Resilience Pavilion (Maliasili)
“Legal recognition of ICCAs in West Africa: issues, challenges and opportunities for guardian communities” (Pavilion)
18:00-19:30, MAVA Pavilion
23 July
“Organisational development” (Stream 2 campus)
08:30-12:00, Room T2
“Women’s voices and playing a stronger role” (Stream 2 clinic)
12:00-14:00, Room AD2
“Closing plenary and report back”
14:00-17:00, Auditorium
Videos
Alerts
NEWS & UPDATES FROM AFRICA
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Second Regional Assembly of African ICCAs—territories of life brings together representatives from across the continent in 2022
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New report shows that global funding is failing the grassroots African conservation groups that are key to sustaining nature
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Indigenous and community representatives from Africa condemn historical and continuing injustices in the name of conservation, set out clear demands at regional protected areas congress
NATIONAL & REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES
NOTE TO MEDIA OUTLETS
Members of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and grassroots civil society organizations are available for interviews and other media opportunities both in Kigali and remotely. Please contact our Communications Coordinator, Mohammad Arju, by email: arju.m@iccaconsortium.org or Signal/WhatsApp: +8801714076147.
Media contacts for participants from ICCA Consortium Members and network partners from specific regions in Africa
For participants from Central Africa:
Aquilas Koko Ngomo (French, English and Swahili)
aquilaskoko@gmail.com
For participants from West Africa:
Salatou Sambou (French)
sambousalatou@gmail.com
For participants from the Sahel:
Alexis Kaboré (French and Mòoré)
alexiskaborenatudev@gmail.com
For participants from North Africa:
Soufiane M’Sou (French and Arabic)
msousoufiane@gmail.com
First published on 07/20/2022, and last updated on 07/17/2023
