Takeaways from Two North America Regional Conservation Forums

The Regional Conservation Forum (RCF) serves as the leading platform for knowledge and partnerships in the region and looks to evaluate conservation progress, revise priority objectives, and propose future action steps, bringing together key stakeholders and experts within the region every four-years.  In 2024, the North America Regional Office (NARO) hosted two RCFs alongside National Committees and local partners.

The RCF is particularly important as it marks a milestone in preparation for the World Conservation Congress (WCC), which will be held October 9-15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi.  During the RCF, IUCN Members began their Motions preparations, gained insight for IUCN elections, discussed their participation rights for the Congress, and collaborated to adopt key priorities.  As the Motions submission process closed January 15, 2025, review and processing of submitted Motions for the WCC now begins.

United States Regional Conservation Forum (RCF)

The 8^th quadrennial IUCN RCF for the United States took place August 20-21, 2024 at Conservation International’s chapter in Arlington, VA under the theme Acting Together to Drive Conservation Impact.

The US RCF included:

• 100 in-person participants
• 30 virtual participants
• 80 member organizations and agencies represented
• 7 IUCN Commissions represented
• 17% classified as Youth

The US RCF addressed several global challenges including, but not limited to, terrestrial and marine conservation, AI and innovation, youth and Indigenous peoples.  Stakeholders argued the importance of fisheries inclusion in agriculture and food security conversations; increased integration of the priorities of key stakeholders including Indigenous peoples’ and youth; and the role of environmental law to prevent nature crime and provide an avenue for the rights of nature, among other important topics. 

The US National Committee (USNC) also held its Annual Meeting, under the theme, IUCN Members Have Heart, directly following the US RCF which helped to capture points made during the previous two days of the RCF.  This proved to be beneficial in helping shape the forthcoming strategy planning for the USNC and leading up to the IUCN World Conservation Congress in October. 

Canada Regional Conservation Forum (RCF)

The IUCN Regional Conservation Forum (RCF) for Canada was held October 1-2, 2024, at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa under the year’s theme of Uniting Conservation Actions – Canada and Global.

The Canada RCF included:

• 130 in-person participants
• 25 virtual participants
• 18 member organizations and agencies represented
• 7 IUCN Commissions represented
• 20% classified as Youth

IUCN and CCIUCN were honored to welcome Elder Peter Decontie, Sacred Fire Keeper of the Algonquin Nation of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, to open and close the Forum each day.

Workshops of the Canda RCF investigated the utilization of Nature-based Education, the impact of Nature-based Solutions (NbS), measures to evaluate effectiveness of habitat protection legislation and policy, and new IUCN monitoring and evaluation tools. Stakeholders discussed the importance of considering forestry and other extractive industries more substantively, the importance of higher education institutions in conservation research and action, and the usefulness of the rising green job sector for conservation.

Click here to learn more about the RCF. 

Click here to learn more about the WCC.