JRS Executive Director Matthew Cassetta and Program Officer Siro Masinde participated in the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the premier international event focused on nature conservation, held every four years. The Congress brought together more than 10,000 delegates, onsite and virtually, including decision-makers from governments, civil society, Indigenous peoples’ organizations, academia, and the private sector. Together they shared advances and discussions on shaping the global conservation and sustainable development agenda.

The Congress featured hundreds of sessions covering a wide range of topics relevant to JRS, including agrobiodiversity, Key Biodiversity Areas, protected areas, biodiversity data collection, and the role of Indigenous knowledge, democratizing data and technology, and using emerging technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning for analyzing large datasets to uncover insights into the past, present, and future.

Alongside the main Congress, a number of high-level summits were held, including the Philanthropy Summit, attended by Matthew. Discussions at the Summit and in other related sessions focused on enhancing the effectiveness of grant-making for nature conservation and finding innovative ways to broaden the platform of nature investments, since just 5% of global philanthropic giving goes to environmental causes.

JRS used this opportunity to reconnect with many former and current grantees, to update ongoing projects, share progress updates and discuss future priorities. The team also met with several prospective grantees, exploring potential new partnerships and potential grant opportunities.

The IUCN Congress concluded with the IUCN Members’ Assembly adopting the Abu Dhabi Call to Action, reaffirming the Union’s commitment to accelerating efforts for a planet where nature and people thrive together.