The Ocean Governance team were among over 1 250 delegates from 49 countries who attended the Second Asia Parks Congress in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia from 25 to 29 May 2022. The Congress was jointly organised by Sabah Parks, Malaysia, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It brought together Asia’s protected area practitioners and relevant stakeholders in the region. Under the theme “Parks for Nature and People”, the delegates shared their experiences and discussed how to respond to the challenges of the 21st century while focusing on the relationship between nature and society.
Touching a broad spectrum of topics, our team members spoke at five events and represented the Ocean Governance project. Firstly, our transboundary cooperation expert Charles Besancon highlighted the role of the regional networks and institutions in the management of Marine Protected Areas. On the same day, Francis Staub (Marine Mammals Twinning Coordinator) presented the Marine Mammals Toolkit, a tool developed within the framework of the Marine Mammals Twinning Project (find out more here). The Marine Mammals Toolkit was also presented at another event by Jean-Jacques Goussard (Coastal Resilience Twinning Coordinator), alongside the Coastal Resilience Self-Assessment Tool. He also participated in a debate around Effective Protected and Conserved Areas. Lastly, our South East Asia Expert Veda Santiaji spoke at the side event “Connecting MPA practitioners with Solutions for Showcasing and Strengthening MPA Management Effectiveness“. He highlighted the importance of capacity building to local communities and their involvement in protecting their seas.
Find the final declaration of the Congress here.
