The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, and institutions, has announced that it will represent the international zoo and aquarium community at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of the Parties (COP).
The COP is taking place in Cali, Colombia from 21 October to 1 November. On 27 October at 4 pm (UTC-5), WAZA will be hosting an event at the IUCN Pavilion together with EAZA, ZAA Australasia, AZA, AFdPZ, SDZWA, and Species360.
The event, which will be live-streamed, will explore the topic Achieving the Targets: the Role of Zoos, Aquariums, and Botanic Gardens for Conservation. Speakers from the host organisations will be joined by representatives from IUCN SSC, BGCI, Fundacion Zoológica de Cali, Reverse the Red, and ZSL.
Encouraging collective action
WAZA members attending the CBD COP are invited to contact the Association to plan joint representation of the worldwide zoo and aquarium community. This COP is a crucial forum for debating and encouraging group action towards biodiversity conservation.
The Association says: “WAZA and Reverse the Red acknowledge this shared responsibility in order to achieve the ambitious and crucial targets at the national, regional, and global levels while recognising the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) as a unique opportunity to unify our community’s efforts and expertise towards a common strategy to halt extinctions and recover population.”
The WAZA Commitment to Biodiversity Conservation emphasises the critical role that the community plays in conservation efforts, and so far 50 members have pledged their support.
WAZA members are invited to sign the declaration here. Members who sign and share their logos by 23 October will be acknowledged during the WAZA event at the IUCN Pavilion.
Last month, WAZA announced the keynote speakers for its 2024 Annual Conference, which will be held from 3 to 7 November at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.
