From knowledge to action: IUCN joins the Pacific in carrying conservation priorities forward

Held from 7–11 September 2026 at the Tjibaou Cultural Centre in Nouméa, New Caledonia, PCNC11 brought together the Pacific conservation community at an important time for the region. The Conference was co-hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the Government of New Caledonia and the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation (PIRT), bringing together governments, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, regional organisations, conservation practitioners, researchers, civil society, donors and development partners from across the Pacific.

For IUCN, a member of PIRT and longstanding partner within the Pacific conservation community, the Conference provided an important opportunity to contribute to this collective regional effort while strengthening collaboration with SPREP, Pacific governments, IUCN Members and other partners. IUCN’s participation reflected the breadth of the Union, bringing together representatives from the IUCN Oceania Regional Office, IUCN Headquarters, the IUCN European Regional Office, the French National Committee of IUCN, IUCN Members and programmes working across the Pacific.

The gathering also reinforced the importance of regional institutions and partnerships in carrying Pacific conservation priorities forward. Through SPREP’s regional mandate, the collective work of PIRT and the contributions of its members and partners, PCNC11 provided a platform for Pacific voices to shape a shared direction for nature conservation—one grounded in Pacific knowledge, leadership and priorities.

Pacific knowledge and leadership at the centre

Across the Conference, one message remained clear: conservation in the Pacific cannot be separated from its people, cultures and deep relationships with land and ocean.

For generations, Indigenous Peoples and local communities have managed islands, forests, reefs and ocean spaces through knowledge systems, customary governance and practices shaped by their relationship with nature.

IUCN-supported discussions throughout PCNC11 reinforced the importance of ensuring these knowledge systems are not treated simply as an addition to contemporary conservation. They are fundamental to understanding how conservation can be designed, governed and sustained in the Pacific.

During discussions on Indigenous voices for nature conservation, participants explored customary leadership, spirituality, cultural relationships with land and ocean, and the responsibilities that communities carry as custodians of their natural environment.

The conversation challenged participants to remember the knowledge and practices that have sustained Pacific communities, recognise the authority and contribution of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, reset approaches where conservation has become disconnected from people, and reimagine conservation systems where culture, traditional knowledge, science and community leadership work alongside one another.

It was a reminder that the question is not simply how Indigenous knowledge can fit within modern conservation, but also what modern conservation can learn from generations of Pacific stewardship.

From knowledge to stewardship

These ideas were brought together through IUCN’s “From Knowledge to Stewardship” side event, which created a space for traditional leaders, communities, conservation practitioners and partners to explore how Pacific knowledge, leadership and innovation can be translated into practical action.

Conversations ranged from Indigenous and traditional knowledge to science and emerging tools such as environmental DNA, resilient food and energy systems, Nature-based Solutions, sustainable livelihoods, youth leadership, conservation finance and partnerships.

While diverse, these discussions demonstrated how interconnected conservation is in the Pacific.

Healthy ecosystems support food security and livelihoods. Traditional knowledge strengthens stewardship. Science and innovation can provide new tools for understanding environmental change. Nature-based Solutions can strengthen community resilience. And sustainable financing and partnerships can help locally developed solutions grow without losing the community ownership that made them effective in the first place.

The side event also demonstrated the value of collaboration across IUCN. Colleagues from different parts of the Union worked alongside regional teams, Members, partners and Pacific practitioners to connect local experiences with regional and global conservation discussions.

The event was financially supported through the COLOURS, Energy Ecosystems and Sustainable Livelihoods Initiative (EESLI), SOMACORE and BESTLIFE2030 projects, reflecting the contribution of different programmes and partners to advancing conservation priorities across Oceania.

Taking locally led conservation further

PCNC11 also provided an important platform for organisations working directly with communities to share their experiences.

Ahead of the main Conference, practitioners supported through BESTLIFE2030 and the Kiwa Initiative came together for an exchange focused on the realities of implementing locally led conservation.

Their experiences highlighted an important lesson: relatively small investments can have impacts extending far beyond an individual project.

When resources reach organisations and communities already working on the ground, they can help restore ecosystems, protect threatened species and strengthen climate resilience. But they can also build organisational capacity, create livelihood opportunities, empower women and young people, strengthen community knowledge and establish partnerships that continue beyond individual funding cycles.

These experiences were carried into PCNC11 through wider conversations on scaling locally led conservation in the Pacific, bringing together community organisations, practitioners, donors and partners to consider how funding mechanisms can become more accessible and responsive to local realities.

For IUCN, these discussions reinforced the importance of connecting global and regional conservation financing with the people already delivering solutions on the ground.

Conservation for nature and people

Another strong message emerging from Nouméa was that conservation cannot be viewed separately from the wellbeing of Pacific communities.

Discussions on nature-positive livelihoods explored how protecting and restoring ecosystems can simultaneously support incomes, food security, cultural identity and climate resilience.

Examples shared from across the region demonstrated the possibilities—from sustainable fisheries and ecosystem restoration to community enterprises, resilient food systems and Nature-based Solutions.

For Pacific Island countries and territories, where communities remain deeply connected to and dependent upon terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems, this relationship is particularly important.

Protecting nature is therefore not simply about conserving biodiversity. It is also about supporting the foundations upon which Pacific cultures, economies, livelihoods and future generations depend.

Strengthening the Pacific conservation community

Beyond individual sessions and presentations, PCNC11 demonstrated the importance of bringing the Pacific conservation community together.

For IUCN, the Conference provided opportunities to strengthen relationships with Members, governments, regional organisations, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, conservation organisations, donors and development partners.

It also demonstrated the value of IUCN’s role as a Union.

The challenges facing nature in the Pacific cannot be addressed by one organisation, government or community alone. IUCN brings together governments and civil society organisations with its network of experts and Commissions, while its regional and global programmes can help connect knowledge, policy, science, standards, financing and action.

PCNC11 provided a valuable space for those different parts of the Union to engage with Pacific experiences and priorities while learning directly from those working at community, national and regional levels.

From Nouméa to regional and global action

The Conference was also about looking ahead.

Among its important outcomes were the Pacific Islands Framework for Nature Conservation 2026–2030 and the Môo Mâ Awé Declaration, providing renewed regional direction for conservation and protected areas across Oceania.

These outcomes come at an important moment.

Pacific countries are continuing to advance implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including efforts towards Target 3 and the conservation of terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas. At the same time, the region continues to advocate internationally for stronger responses to climate change and greater recognition of the particular circumstances facing Pacific Island countries.

The experiences shared in Nouméa therefore have relevance far beyond the Conference itself.

Community-led conservation, Indigenous knowledge, protected and conserved areas, Nature-based Solutions, sustainable livelihoods and accessible conservation finance are all part of a much wider conversation about how global biodiversity and climate commitments become meaningful action on the ground.

The Pacific has important lessons to contribute to that conversation.

Carrying the momentum forward

PCNC11 has concluded, but the work represented in Nouméa continues every day across the Pacific.

For IUCN, carrying the momentum forward means continuing to work as a Union alongside governments, Members, Commissions, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, regional organisations, civil society, donors and development partners.

It means supporting conservation approaches that recognise traditional knowledge alongside science; strengthening locally led initiatives; improving connections between communities and conservation finance; supporting effective and equitable protected and conserved areas; and ensuring Pacific experiences continue to inform regional and global environmental processes.

Most importantly, the Conference demonstrated that the Pacific should not be defined solely by the environmental challenges it faces.

Across the region are generations of knowledge, strong customary systems, committed communities, innovative conservation practitioners, growing networks of young leaders and partnerships already demonstrating what solutions can look like.

The opportunity now is to build upon these strengths.

As the Pacific carries the outcomes of Nouméa forward, IUCN remains committed to working across the Union and alongside its Pacific Members and partners to connect knowledge with action, local leadership with opportunity, and regional priorities with global commitments.

Because the lasting legacy of PCNC11 will not be measured only by what was discussed in Nouméa, but by what happens next—in communities, across islands and seascapes, through regional partnerships and in the decisions that shape the future of nature and people across the Pacific.