News Published: 24 April 2024

As an Executive Committee Member, we are excited to be approaching the upcoming, first ever, World Species Congress from Reverse the Red on May 15 2024. We are delighted to share some updates with you from the Reverse the Red team.

Reverse the Red is a global movement that ignites strategic cooperation and action to ensure the survival of wild species and ecosystems. Data-driven and collaborative, they provide the tools and partnerships to unite stakeholders and catalyze conservation impact.

The World Species Congress is free to attend and will officially begin May 15, 2024 -1000 New Zealand NZST / May 14, 2024 – 2200 GMT and will end May 16, 2024 – 0900 New Zealand NZST / May 15, 2024 – 2100 GMT.

The World Species Congress will:

• Generate 100,000 critical connections and commitments
• Showcase organisational commitments to the Reverse the Red Species Pledge
• Have public satellite events participating globally
• Invite participation and discussion at government satellite events
• Include the announcement of an National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAP) Medal.

Over 24 hours, participants will:

• Hear inspiring success stories integrating Governments, Botanical Gardens, NGO’s, Aquariums, & Zoos of how we’ve improved the status of species
• Receive invitations to direct next steps to support your conservation impact
• Find examples and access to tools, assessments, and strategies
• Have dedicated time to make new connections with colleagues across taxonomies, regions, fields, and more
• See organisational & national commitments to accomplish Target 4.

Key themes include:

• Uniting biodiversity, climate and protected area action
• Financing species conservation
• Market transformation and community engagement
• True integration of Indigenous leadership and knowledge
• Tools and data sets for informing best practice
• Best practice examples in Convention on Biological Diversity target implementation.

The World Species Congress will amplify our collective conservation efforts and facilitate 100,000 critical connections and commitments that accelerate our impact for species. These include commitments to individual next steps such as trainings and network involvement and organizational commitments made as part of the Reverse the Red Species Pledge, which will create a coordinated map of key actions aimed at species recovery. Participants of the Congress will hear from and connect with government agencies, environmental ministers, botanical garden, aquarium, and zoo leaders, Species Specialist Groups and IUCN SSC members, nongovernmental organizations and conservation practitioners, community leaders, biodiversity-minded corporations, wildlife, biology and ecology students and academics, and anyone working to save species. The programme will include live panel discussions, problem-solving sessions, field visits and behind the scenes tours, interviews, and other engaging storytelling.

We hope to see you there!