Together with GIZ (the German International Development Agency), UNDP GEF SGP, the IUCN Global Protected Area Programme and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the ICCA Consortium co-organised a main Stream of events at the World Parks Congress in Sydney (Australia) from 12-19 November 2014. It was the Stream on Enhancing Diversity, Quality and Vitality of Governance—an endeavour that took years to prepare and pulled together the experience, knowledge, energy, engagement and creativity of several hundred people.
Three short movies are now available to take you on a journey of exploration of the complex, sensitive and sometimes confusing and disturbing phenomenon called “governance” as it refers to nature in protected and conserved areas and territories.
Part I – Governance for the conservation of nature
In this first short movie you learn about governance for the conservation of nature and the different governance types that spell out “governance diversity” in the landscape/ seascape. Governance by government, shared governance, private governance, and governance by indigenous peoples and local communities are briefly described and commented upon, in particular regarding voluntary conservation efforts and governance of the commons. You also hear about “governance quality” (good governance) in a variety of ecosystems, and are offered an introduction to the recently developed parameter of “governance vitality”. All this is recounted and discussed by people from various continents who are active, today, to make sense of governance in their daily practice in protected and conserved areas or who carry out conservation work by influencing culture, politics, the economy, legislation and policy.
Part II – A stream on governance at the Sydney Parks Congress 2014
This second short movie takes you to the heart of the Stream on Enhancing Diversity, Quality and Vitality of Governance of the World Parks Congress, Sydney 2014. You make a first stop in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, where a pre-Stream gathering of over three hundred people from five continents discussed issues of “communities conserving nature and culture” and consolidated a number of contributions to the Congress. The second stop introduces you to the “governance ambassadors” in Sydney and – through their work – to the numerous events that took place during the Stream itself and to the Stream conclusions, strongly echoed in the Promise of Sydney— the key summary outcome of the Congress. The last stop of the journey is in Jervis Bay, South of Sydney, where several “governance ambassadors” and colleagues endeavoured to refine the Stream’s recommendations and set the foundations for taking action on them.
Part III – Enhancing governance of protected and conserved areas: an agenda for action
The third short movie illustrates the actual results of the Stream. The agenda for action developed by the Stream participants comprises three directions of work and twenty recommendations. You hear about them all through the voices of people active in their roles and professions: top conservation professionals, indigenous peoples, conservation practitioners, lawyers and environmental and human rights activists. The recommendations were and continue to be a source of powerful ideas and commitment for many of the people who attended the Governance Stream. You learn what can be done, and why, to take action on governance for the conservation of nature. And you find out where you can link with other people with whom to collaborate.
