The Congress is the premier global forum for setting the agenda for protected and conserved areas. It brings together leaders and experts from governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, academia, and the private sector to develop and advance solutions for nature conservation involving effective area-based conservation.
The Congress in 2027 will be the seventh in the series since 1962 and will be held in a critical period for global conservation. Since the last Congress in 2014 in Sydney, Australia, biodiversity loss, climate impacts, social injustice and inequality, conflict, and socio-political fragmentation have worsened. Effective and equitable protected and conserved areas have a significant role to play; they conserve biodiversity, address inequity in society and can make a significant contribution to addressing global challenges. The IUCN World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress 2027 will take place in the final years of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, coinciding also with the 2030 endpoint for the Sustainable Development Goals, and will be uniquely positioned to inform and set the agenda for the ensuing decades.
For the first time, the Congress will be held in the MesoAmerica region, itself home to astonishingly diverse biodiversity, conserved by governments and civil society and by Indigenous Peoples and by local communities.
"Panamá is the crossroads of the world. A natural land-bridge between North and South America and the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans, with exceptional biodiversity and the planet’s best example of sustainable development: the Panamá Canal. We look forward to hosting this global meeting so as to showcase our national parks and nature reserves, to share our effective field-based conservation efforts on the ground and to promote immediate and powerful conservation actions globally," remarked Mr Juan Carlos Navarro, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change of Panamá.
“We are delighted that Panamá will host the IUCN World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress in 2027. As one of the world’s most biodiverse countries – where tropical forests, mangroves, coral reefs, and oceans converge, Panamá offers the perfect stage for this global gathering. At a decisive moment for our planet, this Congress will unite leaders and communities to accelerate action for biodiversity, climate, and people, and to chart a bold path toward a sustainable and resilient future for all,” said Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General.
The Congress will be organised around three integrated themes, each selected for its transformative potential. The outcomes will be frameworks for action, capable of shaping global and local strategies for lasting conservation impact. The themes being developed include:
- Global change and biodiversity – opportunities and threats for protected and conserved areas to address global challenges;
- Scaling Effective Conservation – securing gains, recognising key opportunities for focus and investment, and determining how and where to scale;
- Conservation and People – recognizing and defending rights, responsibilities, and relationships in a changing world.
“The Congress in 2027 will serve as a vital checkpoint and catalyst for global conservation efforts, helping to ensure that the world is on track to meet the ambitious 2030 goals of the GBF,” said Dr Madhu Rao, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas.
"I am thrilled that the IUCN World Protected and Conserved Area Congress 2027 will be hosted in my home region of Central America. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was proud to support the preparations for the World Parks Congress in Sydney in 2014, and to accompany many governments and organisations over the last 10 years in investing in protected and conserved areas to achieve their biodiversity outcomes. For this forthcoming Congress, effort and investment are needed to scale up the effectiveness of PCAs, using standards like the IUCN Green List to drive real, on-the-ground action,” said the GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez.
The Congress will be a crucial opportunity to mobilise political will and commitment from nations to implement their national biodiversity strategies; showcase best practices and innovative solutions for protected and conserved area governance, management, and financing; elevate the role of Indigenous Peoples and of local communities in conservation; and establish a clear, ambitious agenda for protected and conserved areas that will help the world to meet the challenges posed by biodiversity decline and climate change.