Press Release 16 November 2004

Iwokrama to be Featured This Week at the
IUCN World Conservation Congress in Bangkok

Georgetown, Guyana - Iwokrama International Centre will be featured in two sessions of the World Conservation Congress of the International Centre International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Over 5000 people from around the world are expected to attend the 3rd such event to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 17th to 25th November. The Congress will focus on the plight of species and ecosystems and its impact on people's livelihoods by presenting state-of-the-art scientific data. The event also seeks to mobilise resources at a time when worldwide government investment into conservation is waning.

Iwokrama's programme, accomplishments and lessons learned will be presented at the Congress as the context for both a discussion of future management of wilderness tropical forests, as well as a workshop about the Guiana Shield Forests and their global significance. Iwokrama is sponsoring both activities and they will be led by Iwokrama's Director General, Graham Watkins, Ph.D.

The discussion, entitled, "Sustainable Human Development in Action - Protected Areas in Guyana, the Guiana Shield and the Caribbean" will be held for two hours on Friday, 19 th November. It will focus on collaborative management, community involvement and private sector partnerships.

On Saturday, 20th November there will be a two and a half hour workshop entitled "Conserving Wilderness Tropical Forests - Guiana Shield". This will discuss approaches to the effective management of these forests, focusing on the critical aspects of participatory management and financing mechanisms. In addition to Dr. Watkins, workshop presenters will include two Iwokrama Trustees: David S. Cassells, Chair, World Bank-WWF Alliance, and Sydney Allicock of the North Rupununi District Development Board; and Major General (ret'd.) Joseph Singh, Executive Director of Conservation International, Guyana .

Through Iwokrama's participation in international fora such as the IUCN World Conservation Congress, Iwokrama and Guyana are becoming increasingly recognised as international leaders in the development of community partnerships and coordination between local and national institutions for the ultimate purpose of tropical rain forest conservation. Iwokrama's mission to disseminate the lessons learned in Guyana is helping to create a better understanding of the constraints and challenges faced by developing nations as they seek to implement sustainable development programs.

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