The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an international organisation which works to preserve the biodiversity of our planet, held the 20th anniversary of its Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation based in Málaga, Spain from 29th September to 2nd October 2022. 

Through 4 dialogues held on Friday 30th September, IUCN gathered a diverse range of actors (not only NGOs and foundations for the preservation of nature but also the private sector and public entities). From peace to economic development and funding´s challenges, the spectrum of debates was wide and the angles to tackle nature conservation were quite complete. 

What came up from the different dialogues is the notion of ownership to guarantee the success of most projects’ implementation. The sustainability is also an important indicator. If you visit a project one or two years after the fund ends and it goes on, then you can tell it is a success.
Besides these two principles, many speakers and participants highlighted the importance of communication and the media to transmit positive messages. Finally, the territorial factor is fundamental to ensure that what you are doing is useful. You can not apply the same criteria in Europe or in the Middle East for instance. The local context with its cultural dimension has to be taken fully into account.

For more information about the event, you can check the agenda here.