Categories Events, Events organised or co-organised by the consortium, General Assemblies, Global, World

The ICCA Consortium holds its 20th General Assembly online

The General Assembly is the association’s highest governance body and is a crucial opportunity to renew and further strengthen our organization

First published on 10/15/2024

By ICCA Consortium


The 20th General Assembly of the ICCA Consortium reviewed critical aspects of the work undertaken in 2023 by the Consortium’s various organs, approved the 2024 Action Plan and Budget, and made important decisions regarding the leadership transition and organizational change process underway.

The membership’s consensus support elected Several Council members for their first terms. The membership had the opportunity to review and approve several reports from the Secretariat, Council, Treasurer, and Auditor of Accounts. Members and Honorary members also participated in a membership engagement event that explored human rights, climate, and biodiversity issues.

The Assembly was held in a semi-staggered approach over four sessions throughout June 2024. More than 230 participants, including representatives of over 80 Member organizations, Honorary members, and members of the Secretariat, joined the General Assembly. For the fifth year, the Consortium held its General Assembly online.

Two sessions were held in the first week of June, followed by an inter-sessional two-week pause, to be resumed in the last week of June. During the four sessions (4 June, 6 June, 25 June, and 27 June), 231 unique participants from 66 countries, including representatives from 88 Member organizations, joined the Assembly.

In addition to Council elections, other vital discussions and decisions of the 20th General Assembly included:

  • Noting the 2023 reports of the Council, Membership Committee, Secretariat, Treasurer, and Auditor of Accounts and approving the 2024 – 2028 Strategic Plan and 2024 Action Plan and Budget; 
  • Appointing Marc Foggin as the Auditor of Accounts and Ombudsperson for the coming year; and
  • Brief exchange of experiences about territories of life in coastal and marine systems ahead of UN Oceans Day.

Using Loomio allowed Members and Honorary members to participate in discussions and build consensus during the live online sessions and asynchronously ahead of the Assembly. This tool has helped us provide different participation options for our global membership across time zones and languages.

Council elections

Newly elected council positions are as follows:

Luis Guillermo Izquierdo is the President; Femy Pinto and Lorena Arce are the thematic co-representatives for sustaining territories of life; Khalid Khawaldeh is the regional representative for West and Central Asia and the Caucasus; and Josefina Tunki is the regional representative for the Amazon.

Following the request of several Members and members of the Council of the Elders, the elections for the positions of Vice-President and Secretary of the Council were postponed for ten weeks to allow for regional and inter-regional consultations.

Sara Oliveros, who is ending her three-year mandate as Secretary of the Council, has kindly agreed to continue on an interim basis until the nomination and election of her successor.

Our gratitude to the guardians of the Oceans

It is with great gratitude that we share the beautiful opening ceremony kindly shared by Mohammed Juma from Mwambao Coastal Community Network (ICCA Consortium Member) in Tanzania. Paul Sainge’eu, Regional Coordinator for East Africa, read a traditional prayer poem titled “The Guardians of the Oceans” at the opening of the General Assembly on behalf of the Ujamaa Community Resource Team (ICCA Consortium Member).

“Together, we can turn the tide, empowering and recognizing the community’s role in protecting and preserving our precious marine treasures.”

The Guardians of the Oceans

Navigating a changing world with Human Rights at the Core

In addition to the formal sessions of the 20th General Assembly, the Consortium held an inter-sessional meeting to engage the membership titled “Navigating a changing world with Human Rights at the Core: Towards a Human Rights-based Approach to Biodiversity and Climate Action and Policies.”

The event was led by Pooven Moodley, an Honorary member and member of the Council (thematic representative for defending territories of life). It hosted presentations from John Knox, former UN special rapporteur on human rights and environmental issues, and Soo Young Hwang, legal officer with the UN Environment Programme. The meeting focused on presenting the latest updates on the Core Human Rights Principles for Conservation Actors.

We thank all Council members, Secretariat, Council of Elders, Members and Honorary Members, and linguistic support volunteers and collaborators for actively participating in the 20th General Assembly.

Once finalized, the minutes of the 20th General Assembly will be published here in English, French, and Spanish.

We will continue to learn from our experience with online General Assemblies and strive to improve accessibility and opportunities for engagement in the association’s highest decision-making body.