By Anita Varghese, Director, Biodiversity Conservation
Our organization has been a member of the IUCN since 2012. The World Conservation Congress of
the IUCN takes place every four years; we were present at Jeju, Hawaii and Marseille for these
events. As a line up to the Congress, regional meetings occur a year ahead. The Asia Regional
Conservation Forum (RCF-Asia) took place at Bangkok in the first week of September. Anita Varghese
represented Keystone Foundation and took part in the meeting. This was her third time at the RCF-
Asia.
The theme of the RCF was ‘Reimagining Conservation in Asia: A Nature Positive Future’. The delegation from India was lead by the IUCN Country Director. The Delhi office and Asia office of the IUCN in Bangkok coordinated all logistics quite well. While the conference gives an opportunity to learn about biodiversity conservation efforts across the continent, it also provides an important forum to catch up with agencies working within each country.
The Indian contingent had more than ~40 organization representatives and it was wonderful to meet old friends and make new ones. Compared to the Congress, the regional forum is a smaller gathering. The forum feels like being at the ‘supermarket’ of conservation: ideas are presented, activities are taken stock of, new products are displayed and there is much to buy into. It is a chance to meet national and regional country members, talk trans-boundary issues and think as a collective around biodiversity conservation needs. The main take aways from the conference was the emphasis on ecological restoration, involving communities in protected area management, looking at agroforestry solutions, partnering with the private sector and many more ideas.
The IUCN model of membership based coalitions is inspiring to watch as it forges ahead into its 75th
year and importantly how each member whether representing a government, civil society organization, indigenous peoples organization have the same voice – it all depends on how each one
exercises the power they have. In Bangkok this year, we saw young people taking charge of these spaces, and it was indeed encouraging to see this happening when the point of these forums are were
young voices.
Keystone hosts the secretariat of the Western Ghats Plant Specialist Group and is also part of the
Steering Committee of the Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Group. The RCF provided the chance to
catch up with other members of these groups and to also feel the pulse of what is relevant for each
of them and their region.
Finally, coming away from the RCF as a country delegation, along with our several other associations
with the membership ,we have a plan for how we can participate better at the World Conservation
Congress in 2025 at Abu Dhabi. If the RCF is the supermarket the Congress is the Mall!
