6th International Marine Protected Areas Congress, Host Needed
By Joyce Ojanji
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have called for proposals to host the 6th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC6) in 2026.
IMPAC aims to share knowledge and experience, and to join efforts to strengthen best practices in the creation and management of MPAs. Through these exchanges, it aims to promote the effective conservation of marine biodiversity as well as the natural and cultural heritage of the oceans.
The host country and city will be chosen by the Selection Committee, an international group comprised of WCPA-Marine and IUCN ocean team representatives and previous hosts of IMPAC meetings and is expected to attend the IMPAC5 in Vancouver, Canada for the announcement of winning the selection and hand over ceremony.
Other countries which have taken place in Geelong, Australia (2005), Washington, D.C, United States of America (2009), Marseille, France (2013) and La Serena, Chile (2017).
Those countries willing to be considered as host for IMPAC6 should submit their proposal by October 3 ,2022 to Ocean@iucn.org (copy to fparedesv@gmail.com).
The selection committee will give special consideration to proposals coming from regions that have not previously hosted an IMPAC congress, have partnered with other countries for support, and have clear diversity and inclusion principles.