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Aspirational Statement

The 1st Asia Park Congress aims to connect protected area practitioners and wide range of stakeholders for addressing issues and opportunities of the 21st Century as the first-time park congress in Asia, through sharing our experiences, learning each other, and collaborative working.

1. Theme

In consideration of the discussions made at the Preliminary Asia Parks Congress held in November 2011, the theme of the Asia Parks Congress has agreed as “Parks Connect”, taking into consideration a flexible yet unifying concept of the connections at many different levels which link nature with people, people with people, and protected areas with the outside of protected areas.

（Although“Park” is used in the Congress name as a representative of protected areas, the Asia Parks Congress will cover protected areas as a whole: they include strict nature reserves, wilderness areas, national parks, regional parks, wildlife protection areas, habitat/spices management areas, protected landscapes, forest protected areas, urban open spaces, Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, UNESCO Man & Biosphere Reserves, UNESCO Geoparks, and protected areas managed by local communities.）

2. Objectives

The Asia Parks Congress provides the opportunity to:

• Share good practices of protected areas in Asia, and values of PAs for establishing a cooperative structure among a various stakeholders.
• Contribute protected areas management and planning in the world through sharing experiences in Asia.
• Establish the agenda for PAs in Asia and promote actions toward achieving the Aichi Targets and the objectives of the PoWPA.
• Build regional capacity to deal with problems of PAs.
• Provide regional perspective and input to relevant regional and global events including the World Parks Congress in 2014.

3. Congress organizers

• Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan
• IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

4. Venue

Sendai International Center (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan)

Address:Aobayama,Aoba-ku,Sendai,Japan

Tel:+81(22)265-2450

5. Congress Dates

Five days between Wednesday, 13 to Sunday, 17 November 2013

（The opening ceremony and keynote addresses will be held in the evening of 13 November 2013）

6. Countries to be invited in the congress

Countries in East Asia, South-East Asia, and South Asia
（Though presentations from Asian countries will be given priority to other region, we welcome participants from other regions/ countries.）

7. The number of expected participants

A total of 500 participants including 300 Japanese participants.

8. Participation fee

Free

(Participants are required to bear the fees for their travel, accommodation, and meals)

9. Language

English

(simultaneous interpretation will be provide for opening ceremony and keynote speeches)

10. Expected outcomes

• Strengthening partnerships aims at: contribution to Aichi Targets and PoWPA; supporting a Pan Asia PA Network; promotion of transboundary PAs and sister parks; and sharing information.
• Establishment of Asian Philosophy/ Charter of PAs which act as catalyst for cooperation, improvement of PAs’ governance, and integration of conservation and development.
• Publication of Asian PA status and prospects report including: progress toward Aichi Targets; analysis of laws and policies; management effectiveness evaluation and recognizing well-managed PAs.
• Statement and preparation of regional best practice guides for challenging such issues in PAs: natural disaster risk reduction, human wildlife conflict, climate change adaptation, incentives measures (ecotourism promotion etc.), management of socio-ecological production landscapes (SATOYAMA initiative).