First published on 10/06/2007, and last updated on 05/29/2017
An international workshop entitled “Strengthening Community Conserved Areas—lessons, needs & recommendations for policy and practice” took place in the Kure mountains of Turkey in the first week of October 2007. During the workshop, about thirty conservation and development professionals reviewed the results of current analyses on Indigenous and Community Conserved areas (ICCAs), identified specific challenges facing them, visited some local ICCA cases, drew lessons learned and developed recommendations for policy at the local, national and international level.
The workshop was organized by the Theme on Governance, Equity and Rights (TGER) of CEESP and the Strategic Direction on Governance, Equity and Livelihoods (TILCEPA) of CEESP and WCPA in collaboration with the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks of the Government of Turkey and the GEF Small Grants Programme (GEF SPG). The workshop was financially sponsored by the GEMCONBIO project financed by the European Union. The attendance of some participants was supported by the Sida-IUCN framework agreement for 2007, the GEF SGP, The Christensen Fund, CIFOR, Sand County Foundation, and others.
The workshop participants highlighted the need for visibility, recognition and support for ICCAs and discussed the idea of a broad, worldwide alliance in support of ICCAs, outlining the first steps in this process. Throughout 2008, intense networking and fundraising will take place and dedicated meetings will be held at various international and regional fora (in particular at the second gathering of the CBD Working Group on Protected Areas and at the 2008 CBD Conference of the Parties). This first phase will lead towards a dedicated event at the Fourth World Conservation Congress (Barcelona October 2007), where what is now an ad-hoc network of committed experts and organizations could be more formally launched as a broadly-based alliance, including community-based and indigenous peoples’ organizations, NGOs, concerned professionals, civil society networks and research institutions. The purpose of the alliance would be to increase the visibility of ICCAs and to promote their recognition and support, as appropriate.
