IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) annual Steering Committee meeting was held from 21 to 24 April 2013 in Podgorica, Montenegro. The meeting was organised with support provided by the Centre for Protection and Research of Birds of Montenegro and IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe, and endorsed by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism of Montenegro. While the first three days of the meeting were dedicated to presentation of results and discussion on a variety of important topics, the participants visited Lovćen and Skadar Lake National Parks on the last day. This visit was supported by National Parks of Montenegro. 

The Steering Committee, headed by Ernesto Enkerlin Hoeflich, discussed commitments where IUCN was specifically named in the documents of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity meeting from Nagoya, as well as protected area related challenges linked to capacity development, governance, sustainable finance, mainstreaming protected areas in development agenda, and certification (e.g. Green List). Much of the discussion was dedicated to preparation for the upcoming World Parks Congress (WPC), to be held in November 2014 in Sydney, Australia. WPC theme is Parks, People, Planet: Inspiring Solutions and its principal aim is to position protected areas firmly within goals of economic and community wellbeing, as well as increase understanding of protected areas’ vital role in conserving biodiversity and delivering ecosystem services. The agenda includes eight Streams and four cross-cutting Themes that will enable the participants to debate new ideas and strategies for the future.

WCPA Task Forces and Specialist Groups (SG), including Transboundary Conservation SG, had the opportunity to present some of their activities and proposed directions. IUCN Global Protected Areas Programme reported on the regional workshops and implications for WCPA actions under Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme (BIOPAMA), as well as progress with the Green List project.

More information and presentations available at: http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/gpap_home/gpap_wcpa/gpap_steeringcommittee/gpap_wcpascmeeting/