Summary of World Parks Congress outcomes

DURBAN, South Africa (AFP) Sep 17, 2003
The fifth World Parks Congress in South Africa's eastern port city of Durban adopted a range of recommendations Wednesday on how to manage and safeguard the world's 100,000 protected areas in the next 10 years.

There follows a summary of the key elements of the document:

- establish a global system of protected areas linking surrounding landscapes and seascapes by 2012;

- recognise the rights of indigenous peoples, mobile peoples and local communities in relation to biodiversity conservation;

- secure greatly increased resources for protected areas;

- improve quality and effectiveness of protected area management;

- empower and involve younger generations in the process;

- implement improved forms of governance that recognise both traditional forms and innovative approaches as a great potential value for conservation;

- improve communication and education on the role and benefits of protected areas;

- achieve greater support for protected areas through partnerships.

TERRA.WIRE