Summary
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress (WCC) started on Thursday with almost 10,000 participants. During the opening ceremony in the morning, Hawaiʻi Governor David Ige said an island is a “microcosm of Planet Earth,” and he announced the Hawaiʻi Sustainability Initiative. President Tommy Remengesau, Palau, said President Obama’s designation of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument “cements his legacy as an ocean leader.” Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), presented the UN Secretary-General's warmest congratulations and strong support, and reminded participants that “no task is too big if we act together.” IUCN President Zhang Xinsheng said the WCC is about moving the 2015 historical agreements to action.
In the afternoon, Pacific Island leaders, governors and mayors from the cities and states on the Pacific Rim attended the Pacific Ocean Summit to consider the actions and commitments required for the establishment of the 2030 Pacific Ocean Partnership. On increasing ocean resilience, Aliki Faipule Afega Gaualofa, President of Tokelau, said “the Pacific Ocean is our teacher, our elder and our home,” further highlighting that ocean health is interdependent with quality of life and climate change. Henry Puna, Prime Minister, Cook Islands, emphasized that traditional approaches must be nurtured and integrated into ocean resilience efforts.
In the evening, participants joined a reception featuring tastings by 20 of Hawai‘iʻs top chefs along with live music by Hawai‘iʻs own Jack Johnson.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has produced daily reports, daily web coverage, summary videos from the Forum and the Members Assembly, as well as a summary report from the IUCN Congress 2016, which is available in HTML and PDF format.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth and Diego Noguera
For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page
Opening Ceremony and Statements
Delegates watch traditional Hawai‘ian dancers during the opening ceremony
Kamana‘opono Crabbe, Office of Hawai‘ian Affairs
Sally Jewell, US Secretary of the Interior
David Ige, Governor of Hawai‘i
Brian Schatz, US Senator, Hawai‘i
Tommy Remengesau, President of Palau
Norbert Kurilla, Slovakia, EU presidency
Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
Corbett Kalama, Kamehameha Schools Trustee
Zhang Xinsheng, President, IUCN
Press Conference
View of the dais during the press conference
David Ige, Governor of Hawai‘i
Sally Jewell, US Secretary of the Interior
Brian Schatz, Hawai‘i Senator
Inger Andersen, IUCN Director General
Participants asking questions during the session
Pacific Ocean Summit
Participants gather for the Pacific Ocean Summit
John De Fries, Department of Research and
Development, County of Hawai‘i
President Hilda Heine,
the Marshall Islands
President Peter Christian, the Federated States of Micronesia
Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UNEP
Alan Arakawa, Mayor,
County of Maui, Hawai‘i
Kosi Latu, Director General, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
Aliki Faipule Afega Gaualofa,
President, Tokelau
Henry Puna, Prime Minister,
Cook Islands
Edouard Fritch, President, French Polynesia
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare,
Solomon Islands
Siaosi Sovaleni, Deputy Prime Minister, Tonga
Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga, Tuvalu
Participants make personal commitments to protect the Pacific Ocean
Around the Venue
Braulio Dias, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Executive Secretary, speaks with a participant
John Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), speaks with a participant
Delegates meet informally
(L-R): Aliki Faipule Afega Gaualofa, President, Tokelau; Irina Bokova, Director-General, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and Braulio Dias, CBD Executive Secretary
Delegates during the opening ceremony
Delegates from Tonga
Media throughout the day
Delegates during the evening reception
