13th Latin American Congress on Voluntary Conservation Brings Together 130 Conservationists From 16 Latin American Countries

Earlier this month, the ILCN joined voluntary land conservation leaders from the public, non-governmental, Indigenous, private, multi-lateral, and academic sectors in Panama City, Panama, for the 13th Latin American Congress on Voluntary Conservation. The gathering, which was hosted by the Panamanian Association of Private Natural Reserves, was the first meeting of the voluntary conservation community of practice across Latin America since 2018.

“The Panama Congress was remarkable,” said Hernan Mladinic, who helped convene the gathering. “It exceeded the expectations of participants and organizers. It was outstanding in every sense: content, participation, organization, location, networking, and filled with a positive spirit and energy that transcended and was celebrated by all who participated.”

Among its achievements was doubling the number of registrants who attended the previous Congress in Peru in 2018, bringing together 130 participants from 16 Latin American countries. It reflected the continued growth of voluntary conservation in the region, which has doubled in extent to approximately 19 million acres since 2018.

Presentations over the course of the two-and-a-half-day event showcased landowner- and community-led initiatives that are driving conservation outcomes for communities and regions from Chile to Mexico. Plenary sessions focused on four key themes: sustainable financing and new funding; the role and effective management of conservation areas, including OECMs, on private and collective lands in achieving the 30×30 target; education, strategic communication, and technologies for conservation; and public policies and legal frameworks that incentivize and enable voluntary conservation.

On September 18, Ruchi Patel, a senior policy analyst for the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, moderated a packed panel of 16 leaders representing networks at the national and regional level in 14 countries across Latin America. “Building More Trustworthy and Effective Organizations and Networks” focused on the importance of networks as key players in decision-making and as strategic allies in meeting national and global biodiversity and climate goals. “The group created a generative space for sharing stories, exchanging knowledge, and strengthening the collective movement for private and voluntary conservation in Latin America,” said Patel.

The meeting convened practitioners and representatives of national voluntary land conservation networks in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela and practitioners and participants from Bolivia, El Salvador, Mexico and Uruguay. The ILCN celebrated the notable and longstanding dedication of these networks in advancing voluntary land conservation in their countries through the presentation of certificates of appreciation.

The gathering also served to solidify the Latin American Voluntary Land Conservation Network, which serves as a space for exchange, learning, and community-building for national networks and practitioners from across the region. At the Congress closing, the Network announced that the 14th Congress will take place in Mexico in 2027.

Look out for more information and key insights from the Congress in the November ILCN newsletter!