Sustainable Developments
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Delegates convened in three Congress sittings throughout the day to hear reports from the President, the Director General and Commissions Chairs, and the outcomes of the independent external review of IUCN. Other topics addressed include: IUCN finances; membership and constituency development; membership dues for 2002-2004; commission mandates; and programme related draft resolutions. |
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| 18th SITTING OF THE WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS | |
| Mohammad Sulayem, Vice-President of IUCN (second from the left), presided over the 18th Sitting. |  |
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PRESIDENT'S
REPORT: President Yolanda Kakabadse raised several issues: IUCN's liquidity
crisis of 1999; efforts to assess and make IUCN's work more effective;
and IUCN's recently-granted observer status at the United Nations. 
RealAudio excerpts of Kakabadse's presentation |
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DIRECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT: Director General Maritta Koch-Weser presented
accomplishments since the 1st World Conservation Congress held in 1996.
She overviewed the new IUCN programme and budget framework developed
in 2000, which focuses on knowledge, empowerment, governance and operations
(KEGO). Koch-Weser identified goals to attain prior to the 3rd World
Congress, including: improve the quality of service to Commissions,
members and the Council; implement the new management systems.
RealAudio excerpts of Koch-Weser's presentation: Part one: what IUCN stands for and management Part two: new Programme and IUCN's value-added Part three: IUCN's place and future in the greater international institutional environment |
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 INDEPENDENT
EXTERNAL REVIEW OF IUCN: Koch-Weser overviewed the review (CGR/2/2000/3),
which concludes that, inter alia: IUCN's potential was not fully realized;
IUCN's previous programme was of mixed quality and lacking prioritization;
IUCN's core competencies were unclear; and the programme and budget
were not linked. The review commended work at the programme level, progress
toward decentralization and regionalization, and regional conservation
forums and committees.
RealAudio excerpts of Koch-Weser's presentation |
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| REPORTS OF THE CHAIRS OF THE COMMISSIONS: | |
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Species
Survival Commission (SSC): David Bracket, SSC Chair, overviewed programme
priority areas: species information service; the Red List Programme;
sustainable use; the Wildlife Trade Programme; the Plant Conservation
Programme; invasive species; and digital libraries. He said SSC is developing
fisheries related programmes and a focus on trade in medicinal plants.
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| Commission on Environmental Law (CEL): CEL Chair Nicholas Robinson highlighted CEL's attempt to establish a legal order to enhance social equity and sustain biodiversity and ecosystems. He spoke on CEL's Strategic Goal to advance environmental law together with scientific understanding of the natural systems. | 
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Commission on Education and Communication (CEC): CEC Chair Frits Hesselink said the Commission's role is to advocate education and communication as tools for conservation and capacity building and introduced a video on CEC achievements. |
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Commission on Environmental Economics and Social Policy (CEESP): CEESP Chair Tariq Banuri reviewed CEESP's mission statement, structure and activities and detailed progress of working groups on ethics, governance, technology, co-management, trade and environment, coastal zones and environment and security. |
| COMMISSION
REVIEWS: Gabor Bruszt, Team Leader of the External Review, reported
on the review (CGR/2/2000/3), reinforcing that the Commissions are the
biggest assets of IUCN, and that the Congress's job is to give directions
to the Commissions. He stressed that the Commissions must have: a unique
competence base, a clear focus and a critical mass of membership, which
only the SSC, WCPA and CEL have achieved.
RealAudio excerpts of Bruszt's presentation |
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