THE 2016 WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS: EXPLORING A WIN–WIN AGENDA FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET

The 2016 World Conservation Congress, convened by the IUCN, aims to develop governance responses to biodiversity loss through a series of motions and resolutions. The document emphasizes the need to integrate biodiversity into all development choices and align the IUCN's 2017–2020 Programme with global frameworks like the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. For Africa, the brief highlights the importance of Motion 086 and the need for consolidated voting positions to protect vulnerable ecosystems.

• The 2016 World Conservation Congress (WCC) serves as a platform for 1,300 member organisations from 161 countries to vote on 100 proposed motions focused on valuing nature, equitable governance, and nature-based solutions for climate, food, and development.
• The 'planetary boundaries' concept adopted by the WCC challenges traditional economic growth models based on fossil fuel consumption and the assumption that natural resources are limitless.
• The IUCN Programme 2017–2020 is designed to act as a mechanism for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Strategic Plan (including Aichi biodiversity targets), and nationally determined climate change commitments.
• While the IUCN's motions process has historically informed landmark treaties like the Ramsar Convention and CITES, it currently lacks formal mechanisms to ensure compliance or coordinated implementation of its resolutions.
• For African stakeholders, Motion 086 is critical for linking regional priorities to the international process by supporting the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and the African Agenda 2063.
• Specific conservation challenges in Africa addressed through WCC motions include the illegal poisoning of wildlife (Motion 010) and the protection of pangolin species (Motion 011), with a goal to move all eight species to Appendix I of CITES.
• The document identifies highly polarised issues for debate at the WCC, specifically the termination of hunting captive-bred lions for commercial purposes (Motion 009) and the closure of domestic ivory trade markets (Motion 007).

APA

Chevallier, R. (2016). THE 2016 WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS: EXPLORING A WIN–WIN AGENDA FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Policy-Briefing-152.pdf

Chicago

Chevallier, Romy. THE 2016 WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS: EXPLORING A WIN–WIN AGENDA FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2016. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Policy-Briefing-152.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chevallier |first1=Romy |title=THE 2016 WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS: EXPLORING A WIN–WIN AGENDA FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=August 2016 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Policy-Briefing-152.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chevallier20162016, author = {Chevallier, Romy}, title = {{THE 2016 WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS: EXPLORING A WIN–WIN AGENDA FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2016}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Policy-Briefing-152.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }