Global Congress of the ILCN & ELCN

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Third Global Congress of the International Land Conservation Network and first Congress of the European Land Conservation Network has been postponed to 14-16 April 2021.

The Congress of the ILCN and the ELCN will build upon the momentum, conversations, collaborations, and relationships that have emerged within these two networks over the past several years. The Congress will explore a range of topics, focused on how attendees may take specific actions in their home countries to advance private land conservation. The Congress is free to participants. Please note that it is on an invitation-only basis. For inquiries please contact Tilmann Disselhoff. 

Congress format

The Congress will kick off with a field trip to Monserrat Natural Park, featuring important Catalonian private land conservation initiatives. It will then alternate between a series of plenary lectures and several sessions of concurrent workshops. Please find a preliminary programme here: 

Preliminary programme 2020 Congress ILCN/ELCN

The workshops will cover a wide range of diverse topics presented by experienced colleagues and experts. They will run as five sessions concurrently within five areas of focus (see below). Each workshop will be 90 minutes in length and will consist of a series of presentations by multiple speakers, followed by a facilitated panel discussion and an active dialogue with the audience, in which participants work collaboratively to advance their collective understanding of a particular topic. Workshop presenters typically present their ideas for no more than 60 minutes, leaving at least 30 minutes for questions, answers and discussion.

Areas of Focus
Workshops at the Congress will follow five tracks. 

• Conservation Finance
  This area may include topics such as: where and how to get money for land transactions, including philanthropy/grants, public funds, tax incentives, and other innovative sources of funding; public-private partnerships to support conservation; carbon financing and ecosystem service markets; mitigation or compensation funds; ecotourism; long-term finance mechanisms, and more.

• Law and Policy
  This area may include topics such as: national or regional laws enabling private land conservation in countries of different legal systems; non-financial incentives that support land conservation;potentials and risks of upscaling private land conservation tools and replicating established tools in other contexts; conservation in areas of communal, collective, or state ownership; the role of privately protected areas for global biodiversity conservation; and more.
   
• Organization and Governance
  This area may include topics such as:building sustainable organizations; communicating effectively; engaging volunteers; building a board; creating and adopting standards and practices for land conservation; the value of networks in advancing private land conservation; and more.
   
• Land Restoration
  This area may include topics such as: conservation techniques to enhance water quality and quantity; restoration efforts; creating/enhancing carbon sinks; regenerating native vegetation; and more.
   
• Stewardship and Management
  This area may include topics such as: monitoring of properties and measuring success; biodiversity conservation on properties; long-term management; working landscapes and land conservation; community-based conservation; conservation for both natural landscapes and cultural heritage

Applicants may propose one of the following:

1. Presentation or Workshop
   This proposal will include information for a short presentation or workshop (~15-20 minutes) focused on a particular topic and/or case study. If selected, the Congress Planning Committee will combine your presentation or workshop with others to create a cohesive panel under the appropriate area of focus.
    
2. Panel
   This proposal will include information for two to three presentations that make up a coherent workshop including a panel discussion. Each presentation may be on its own case study. You are invited to propose a panel title that summarizes its overall topic. Make sure that the panel proposal falls within one of the areas of focus.