IMPACT together with the ICCA Consortium co-organized a pre-congress for Indigenous Peoples and local communities from 16th -17th July, ahead of the IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress in Kigali,Rwanda. More than 150 people participated in this important preparatory workshop which aimed to: shine a spotlight on how Indigenous Peoples and local communities are conserving a significant proportion of the world’s biodiversity and nature through their self-determined cultures, ways of life and governance systems; to discuss experiences, challenges, opportunities, and recommendations for appropriate recognition and support for the communities’ self-determined priorities for their collective lands, waters, and territories; to discuss strategies for advancing the movements for conservation justice and collective land, territorial, and tenure and resource rights in the context of nature conservation including the proposed 30×30 target; and to support Indigenous and community representatives to prepare for participation in the main IUCN Congress.

The IPLCs came up with a declaration (see attached below) which was presented at the main African Protected Areas Congress.