UICN - Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature

IUCN and Republic of Korea sign up for best ever Congress

05 March 2010 | News story

IUCN, the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, and the Self-governing Province of Jeju have signed an agreement to jointly organize the 2012 IUCN World Conservation Congress.

The Congress will take place from 6 to 15 September 2012 in Jeju, Republic of Korea. Held every four years, the IUCN Congress is the world’s most important international conservation event. The 2012 Congress aims to put nature and conservation at the top of the global agenda.

Korea’s Environment Minister Lee Maanee, Jeju Governor Kim Tae Hwan, and IUCN’s Director General Julia Marton-Lefèvre say they are all looking forward to this important event and promised that all institutions will do their utmost to make the 2012 Congress the best Congress ever.

Julia Marton-Lefèvre and Minister Lee Maanee were also awarded honorary Jeju citizenship by its Governor during the ceremony, attended by almost 1,500 people, including many citizens and students from Jeju.

The Congress will be held in the International Convention Centre (ICC) in the Jungmun Resort Complex in Jeju, an island south of the mainland. This state-of-the-art facility is set in a well-preserved natural environment and has committed to the “Green Convention Practice” by adopting renewable energy, electronic banners and recycled materials.

The Self-governing Province of Jeju and IUCN also signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of an international Climate Training Centre in Jeju.

For more information: congress@iucn.org,  www.iucn.org/congress