International Union for Conservation of Nature

Guidelines for proposing an event for the Forum

IUCN World Conservation Congress

Marseille 2020

Contents

I. The World Conservation Congress 2020 – “One nature, One future” ............................... 2

II. The 2020 Forum.................................................................................................................. 2

III. Types of sessions open to submissions ............................................................................... 2

a) Thematic stream sessions ........................................................................................ 3

b) Speaker pitches ........................................................................................................ 3

c) Campus Sessions ..................................................................................................... 3

IV. Framework for Proposals .................................................................................................... 4

Forum objectives ................................................................................................................. 4

Thematic framework ........................................................................................................... 5

Multi-stakeholder environment – implementing the “One Programme” approach ............ 5

Gender Mainstreaming ....................................................................................................... 5

Communicating Gender ..................................................................................................... 6

Engaging the next generations ............................................................................................ 6

V. Facilitation support ............................................................................................................. 6

VI. Selection criteria ................................................................................................................. 7

VII. Key dates for contributions ................................................................................................. 8

VIII. Creating and submitting a proposal through the IUCN World Conservation Congress

2020 website .............................................................................................................................. 9

If you have an existing IUCN account ................................................................................ 9

To create a new IUCN account ......................................................................................... 10

To save your proposal as a draft ....................................................................................... 11

To access your proposal from your user dashboard ......................................................... 12

Before submitting your proposal ...................................................................................... 12

To submit your proposal ................................................................................................... 13

IX. Final check-list! ................................................................................................................ 14

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International Union for Conservation of Nature

I. The World Conservation Congress 2020 – “One nature, One future”

Every four years, the IUCN World Conservation Congress brings together thousands of delegates –

10,000 in 2016 – including conservation experts and custodians, government and business

representatives, indigenous peoples, scientists, as well as other professional stakeholders, who have an

interest in nature and the sustainable and just use of natural resources. The IUCN World Conservation

Congress is a unique platform for democratic decision-making, convening governments and civil

society on an equal footing, to agree on actions for change.

The next World Conservation Congress will be held in Marseille, France from 11 to 19 June 2020.

As in previous editions, the Congress will be divided into (i) a Forum, open to the wider public, where

IUCN Members and partners will discuss cutting edge ideas, thinking and practice, and (ii) a Members’

Assembly, the highest decision-making body of IUCN, where Members will debate and advance

international environmental policy, approve the IUCN Programme and elect the IUCN Council and

President.

The World Conservation Congress, and more specifically, the Forum, will offer an unprecedented

opportunity for stakeholders to influence the international environmental agenda for the next decade.

II. The 2020 Forum

The 2020 Forum, a hub of public debate, will focus on showcasing best practices and innovations in

nature conservation, building new partnerships and forging a roadmap for action. Additionally, it will

offer a platform to collect and organise contributions and commitments from a broad range of

stakeholders, with a view to proposing concerted and viable options for the post-2020 framework that

will be agreed at the CBD Conference of the Parties in China (October 2020).

During the Forum, hundreds of events will take place focussing on the seven Congress themes with a

multitude of formats (thematic stream sessions, conservation action cafés, campuses, etc.).

These themes are aligned with the Draft IUCN Programme 2021-2024 (to be adopted during the

World Conservation Congress Member’s Assembly). The 2020 Congress themes are:

1. Managing landscapes for nature and people

2. Conserving freshwater to sustain life

3. Restoring ocean health

4. Accelerating climate change mitigation and adaptation

5. Upholding rights, ensuring effective and equitable governance

6. Leveraging economic and financial systems for sustainability

7. Advancing knowledge, learning, innovation and technology

III. Types of sessions open to submissions

You are invited to propose events to contribute to the content of the Forum through the Call for

Proposals, open from 2 May to 17 July 2019. These proposals will be reviewed to select the best

submissions enabling the development of a rich and stimulating Programme of events for the Forum

Several hundred individual event slots are open for anyone wishing to host an event at the 2020 Forum

in Marseille. As the process is a highly competitive one, session organisers are strongly encouraged to

carefully review the Selection criteria and Forum objectives, to ensure the proposal responds to all

requirements. In line with IUCN’s One Programme Approach, session organisers are required to

collaborate with at least one IUCN constituent part (Members, Commissions, National and/or Regional

Committees, Secretariat).

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Proponents are free to choose from the following three types of sessions:

a) Thematic stream sessions

b) Speaker pitches

c) Campus

a) Thematic stream sessions

These 120-minute Thematic Stream Sessions are based on the seven major themes of the Congress.

In the Call for Proposals, session organisers should ensure that the proposed thematic stream session is

closely aligned to one of these seven themes. In addition, session organisers should detail the format of

the proposed thematic stream session, as well as identify moderators / facilitators for the session. These

sessions are intended for several speakers or a panel to address a broad topic related to nature

conservation and sustainable development. They will typically include anywhere between 4 to 8

speakers.

It is essential that these sessions provide ample room for discussion and use creative approaches to

engage participants, who should be given the floor to share their knowledge and know-how.

The panellists can use visuals but are not required to. All session rooms will be equipped with beamers,

screens and microphones.

b) Speaker pitches

Speaker pitches are modelled on both TED talks and poster sessions. These sessions will allow

participants to showcase conservation work and achievements in an easy and direct way. Speaker

pitches can be used to display or explain any of the following:

innovations and solutions

community and local level initiatives

policy and governance reforms

traditional and indigenous knowledge

new and more sustainable business models and investment opportunities

initiatives that inspire ethical behaviour

projects that promote a new generation of young leaders

actions to address gender equality and equity

new technologies

emerging or original partnerships etc.

Speaker pitches will be held between 10:30 and 16:00 (excluding lunch breaks) during the four days of

the Forum. Each 30-minute session should feature a 15-minute presentation from 1-2 speakers, followed

by a 15-minute Q&A with the audience. The content of the speaker pitches will be available on a central

screen for the duration of the Congress, as well as feature in the official Congress Programme.

All session rooms will be equipped with beamers, screens and microphones.

c) Campus Sessions

Campus sessions constitute the interactive training and capacity-building component of the Forum.

They should aim to develop new skills and knowledge transfer on relevant topics. From purely

conservation-related issues to improved science communications, there´s a niche for all creative ideas!

These sessions will be delivered through two- or four-hour modules aimed at building the capacity of

participants through direct learning and interactive approaches on topics and skills relevant to the

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delivery of IUCN’s Programme. They are distinct from any other session format, and should offer

participants an opportunity to come away with new knowledge or know-how which they can practically

apply. Therefore, campus sessions should introduce and enable participants to experiment with new

tools and methodologies. Campus sessions should provide participants with a 'complete experience’,

including pre- and post-learning processes to complement on-site experiences during the Congress.

Campus sessions can involve up to 50 people and a pre-registration system will be put in place prior to

the Congress.

All session rooms will be equipped with beamers, screens and microphones.

Please note: Social and media events are not part of this first Call for Proposals.

A separate announcement will be made in the Fall of 2019 for social events such as receptions.

A separate call will be organised in early 2020 for media-related events such as press conferences.

These separate calls will be announced on the website and through other channels in the upcoming

months.

IV. Framework for Proposals

Proposals must be framed according to the overall Forum objectives and Congress Themes. They

should also respond to the various topics emphasised in the selection criteria.

Forum objectives

Within the context of the overall Forum Objectives and the thematic areas, proposals should

contribute to at least one of the following objectives:

a) To showcase that conservation works

Sessions should – whenever possible – aim to demonstrate that conservation action is effective.

Presenting results, best practices, testimonials and other concrete examples of success will allow

participants to build their knowledge and share their own successes.

b) To strengthen engagement with the next generation of leaders

Sessions should provide key roles to the next generation of leaders. Youth (aged 15-24) and young

professionals (35 years of age and under) should be involved in any number of ways: speaking roles,

contributions to the different stages of session design and organisation, presentation of success stories

and awards, sessions targeted specifically for youth and young professionals etc.

c) To catalyse action and transformative initiatives

Organisers may focus their sessions on building momentum around transformative initiatives, and

mobilising stakeholders to implement actions by adopting a new approach, a novel technology, a

engaging a different set of players, or going beyond business as usual. Implementing a step change for

the next decade requires disruptive, out-of-the-box thinking.

d) To mobilise the Union (IUCN) as a whole

The power of the International Union for Conservation of Nature stems in great part from its

membership, with nearly 1400 member organisations spanning across governments, governmental

agencies, NGOs and Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations. Sessions should aim to leverage the Union’s

unique platform of membership to achieve positive outcomes for nature.

e) To mainstream conservation

Nature does not exist in a vacuum. Human activities and economic sectors in particular, interact

permanently with the natural world. Exploring win-win solutions to mainstreaming conservation into

economic activities such as mineral extraction, agriculture, and tourism, is essential to a successful

reversal of current trends. Working with representatives from different stakeholder groups, showcasing

partnerships, demonstrating useful indicators, and exploring processes with a reduced footprint, are

some of the many ways to help mainstream conservation in economic activities.

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Thematic framework

The Congress themes are aligned with the Draft IUCN Programme 2021-2024 (to be adopted during

the World Conservation Congress Member’s Assembly). All contributions should therefore contribute

to one or more of the following thematic streams:

1. Managing landscapes for nature and people

2. Conserving freshwater to sustain life

3. Restoring ocean health

4. Accelerating climate change mitigation and adaptation

5. Upholding rights, ensuring effective and equitable governance

6. Leveraging economic and financial systems for sustainability

7. Advancing knowledge, learning, innovation and technology

Multi-stakeholder environment – implementing the “One Programme” approach

IUCN has adopted the One Programme approach as its modus operandi. This approach implies that

all IUCN constituent parts collaborate and work together to jointly implement and deliver the IUCN

Programme. The IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020 will also use the One Programme

approach as a requirement for eligibility.

IUCN’s constituent parts are defined as follows:

IUCN Members

IUCN Commissions

IUCN National and Regional Committees

IUCN Secretariat Unit

Session organisers not affiliated with one of IUCN’s Constituent parts (i.e. its Members,

Commissions, National and Regional Committees, Secretariat Unit), such as private sector partners,

are required to collaborate with at least one of these constituent parts.

In line with IUCN’s One Programme Approach, session organisers affiliated with one of IUCN’s

constituent parts (Members, Commissions, National and Regional Committees, Secretariat Unit) are

required to collaborate with at least one other IUCN constituent part.

Priority will be given to those contributions that involve two or more IUCN constituent parts.

The IUCN Forum Team is happy to provide any support necessary to interested individuals /

organisations, in order to identify IUCN constituent partners.

Gender Mainstreaming

In accordance with the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy for IUCN events, contributions to the World

Conservation Congress will also be considered on the basis of equal opportunities given to, and active

engagement of, women and men in the development and execution of the proposals.

Session organisers should aim to include as many of the following suggestions as possible:

Women as panellists: Ensure the presence of a representative percentage of women (Partners,

Members, Commissions, Secretariat, etc.) in all Forum events. The benchmark suggested by

the Congress Preparatory Committee is at least one woman for two or more

speakers/panellists

Gender expertise: Invite gender experts to make inputs on your topics

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Women or Gender organizations as partners: Partner with women or gender organizations to

conduct your activities

Gender screening: The IUCN Gender office has a Roster of Experts that can assist

organizations in mainstreaming gender from the conceptualization phase to the delivery of

your events, should it be required

Make gender a topic: organize an event from a gender perspective on your work

Useful tip: It is useful to keep in mind that many donor country offices have dedicated gender focal

points assigned that may be in a position to assist you with the implementation of your activities.

Communicating Gender

Advertise your event: The IUCN Gender Office will promote events that include a gender

perspective to relevant stakeholders before, during and after the Congress

Showcase your work: Distribute gender-sensitive promotional and audio-visual material, case

studies and publications. Give special attention to the development of documents related to

the specific topics to be addressed by the Congress and include a gender perspective on that

work

Women as Agents of Change: Portray women in a positive light – women as agents of change

and not helpless victims. Women are key stakeholders that contribute to successful strategies

concerning your work

Participation of female representatives from the private sector, indigenous communities, scientists,

practitioners, politicians and others should also be actively sought to achieve meaningful outcomes

through collaboration.

Engaging the next generations

Similarly, and in accordance with IUCN’s strategy for mainstreaming intergenerational dialogue and

the empowerment of the next generations, Forum proposals will also be considered based on the

extent to which sessions aim to promote the exchange of experiences and new ideas, collaboration,

and action between women and men of different generations and cultures.

Session organisers should aim to include as many of the following suggestions as possible:

Young professional and leaders as panellists: Ensure the presence of a representative

percentage of young professionals (Partners, Members, Commissions, Secretariat, etc.) in all

forum events

Youth expertise: Invite young leaders and experts to provide inputs on your topics

Youth organizations as partners: Partner with youth organizations to conduct your activities

Youth screening: The IUCN Intergenerational Partnership for Sustainability has a Roster of

Experts that can assist organizations in mainstreaming youth and young professionals from

the conceptualization phase to the delivery of events, should it be required

Make intergenerational exchange a topic: organize an event from an intergenerational

partnership perspective

V. Facilitation support

We ask you to consider the objective(s) of your event, as well as the needs of the participants.

Meaningful outcomes and interesting events require audience participation, a diversity of views, and

interaction before, during and after the event.

Prior to the Congress, a Forum Facilitation team will be available to offer support in:

• Identifying tools and presentation methodologies that you can use

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• Providing ideas on how you can reach your objectives

• Linking various Forum events to optimize participant engagement at all stages

Further information on facilitation support will be provided to session organisers once proposals have

been accepted for inclusion in the official Congress Programme.

VI. Selection criteria

The Call for Proposals for the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020 Forum is a competitive

process. Each proposal will be considered on its own merit; however, because of the limited space, it

may be necessary to restrict the number of proposals any one organizing institution can submit. All

proposals will be reviewed against the following Selection Criteria:

Clear alignment with, and contribution to the Congress Themes and the draft IUCN

Programme 2021-2024

Alignment with, and contribution to the Forum objectives

Overall merit of the proposal (e.g. novelty, solutions orientation, expected outcomes etc.)

Diversity of the partners associated with the proposal:

o Session organisers not affiliated with one of IUCN’s Constituent parts (i.e. its

Members, Commissions, National and Regional Committees, Secretariat Unit) are

required to collaborate with at least one of these constituent parts

o In line with IUCN’s One Programme Approach, session organisers affiliated with

one of IUCN’s constituent parts (Members, Commissions, National and Regional

Committees, Secretariat Unit) are required to collaborate with at least one other

IUCN constituent part

o Inclusion of other partners (e.g. business, local authorities, non-IUCN members etc.)

Gender-responsiveness: relevance of your session to mainstreaming gender issues

Engagement of the next generations: extent to which your session will include and promote

youth (ages 12-24) and young professionals (under 35 years of age) at all levels

Use of innovative participatory techniques and demonstrated interactivity of the session (be it

through visuals, use of technology, role-play, breakouts, etc.)

Relevance of the title (e.g. clarity, how catchy / interesting it is etc.)

Overall balance of session types and topics proposed for inclusion in the Forum.

The Forum team also suggests you consider the extent to which your proposal addresses the following

areas:

Contribution to international conservation debates (SDG; CBD; UNFCCC, etc.)

Sharing of new knowledge

Illustration of significant outcomes (societal changes, improved understanding of science, on

the ground results

Identification of new challenges, opportunities, approaches, innovations or solutions

Consideration of varied perspectives and positions on the topic

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VII. Key dates for contributions

The process by which proposals to the Forum are submitted, selected and accepted is as follows:

2 May 2019 The Call for Proposals opens.

17 July 2019 The Call for Proposals closes. *All draft proposals must be submitted before this deadline to be

considered. Proposals not actively submitted will be discarded.

18 July to Mid September 2019 The technical and strategic review processes take place.

Mid-September 2019 Proponents whose proposals require additional clarification or potential merging, are notified. The

review panel may request that sessions be merged with other similar proposals, or include

modifications before acceptance, such as adapting a proposal to fit a different type of event format.

18 October 2019

Proponents whose proposals required additional clarification or potential merging with another

proposal, are required to resubmit.

31 October 2019

All proponents are notified of the final decision regarding proposals. Proposals may be:

o accepted

o declined or

o put on a waiting list pending available space

Note: The number of spaces available for each type of event is limited. Once all available spaces for

an event type are allocated, a waiting list will be established. If space should become available,

organizers of wait-listed events will be notified and allocated space on the basis of the technical review

of their proposal.

1 December 2019 The first draft of the Forum agenda will be published on the IUCN website.

January to May 2020

Organizers will be asked to further develop their respective sessions and progressively provide the

Forum Team with detailed information including a detailed agenda, list of speakers, presentations,

expected outcomes, etc.

The Forum Team will also provide updated information about the venue, logistics, room allocation,

facilitation services etc.

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VIII. Creating and submitting a proposal through the IUCN World Conservation Congress

2020 website

You can submit your proposal online from 2 May 2019 to 17 July 2019 through your personal IUCN

World Conservation Congress 2020 User Account.

If you have an existing IUCN account

1. Login to the Congress website using your existing IUCN account (the same account you

normally use to access IUCN systems such as Union Portal, staff account, etc.)

2. If you do not remember your password, click on the ‘recover credentials’ tab to reset your

IUCN account password

3. Once you have logged in, you will be taken to your ‘user dashboard’ page. Here, under the

‘take action’ tab, you can click on the button ‘submit a proposal for the Forum’, which will

take you directly to the Proposal Submission form

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4. On the top right hand corner of this page, you can change the language in which you view the

proposal form (English – French – Spanish)

To create a new IUCN account

1. Click on ‘Login’ on the Congress website

2. Click on the tab ‘create new account’ and follow the instructions

3. Once you have created your account, you will be logged in to the IUCN Congress website,

and will be taken to your ‘user dashboard’ page. Here, under the ‘take action’ tab, you can

click on the button ‘submit a proposal for the Forum’, which will take you directly to the

Proposal Submission form

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4. On the top right hand corner of the page, you can change the language in which you view the

proposal form (English – French – Spanish)

To save your proposal as a draft

Once you have filled in all the required fields to create a draft proposal, remember to save it, so you

can return and edit it as often as necessary.

1. Make sure all fields required to create a draft proposal have been completed

Fields marked with one asterisk (*) are mandatory for creating a proposal. If you have not

completed all required fields to create a draft, you will get a warning message to indicate

which fields are incomplete.

2. At the bottom of the proposal form, select ‘save’ on the radio buttons

3. Then, select SAVE on the green button at the bottom of your page.

4. You will then be returned to the ‘view’ mode of your proposal. If you wish to edit your

proposal again, click on the ‘edit’ tab.

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To access your proposal from your user dashboard

Once a first draft of your proposal has been saved, you can edit it at any time through your personal

login on the IUCN Congress website (co-managers can also edit a proposal through their personal

IUCN Congress user logins)

When you return to edit a proposal, simply follow the instructions above to log in to your IUCN

Congress user account. Once you are logged in, you can access your proposal directly from your user

dashboard. Saved proposals appear below the main task area.

Before submitting your proposal

1. Before submitting your proposal to the Forum organising team for consideration, carefully

review your form to ensure you have completed all required fields including those marked

with two asterisks (**) which are mandatory fields for final submission.

If you have not completed all required fields to submit a proposal, you will get a warning

message to indicate which fields are incomplete.

2. Remember to review all policies and documents referenced under ‘Acknowledgement and

Consent’, and complete this section before submitting your form.

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To submit your proposal

1. When you are ready to submit your proposal to the Forum organising team for consideration,

change the default status of your proposal from ‘save’ to ‘submit’ by clicking on the ‘submit’

radio button at the bottom of the proposal form.

2. Once you have clicked on the ‘submit’ radio button, you will notice that the green button

below it has changed from ‘save’ to ‘submit’. Select submit on the green button, to ensure

your proposal has been submitted for final review.

Once you have selected submit you can no longer make changes to your proposal.

Remember to change the status of your proposal from ‘save’ to ‘submit’ before the

deadline on 17 July 2019. Draft proposals will be automatically deleted on 17 July 2019 at midnight (GMT+2) at the

close of the Call for proposals.

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IX. Final check-list!

Before submitting your proposal, think about the following:

Be relevant –

To the Congress themes

To all the Selection Criteria

Be inclusive –

Choose your partners – your proposal must actively involve at least one of the four IUCN

Constituent parts (Members, Commissions, Secretariat, Partners)

Make sure you pay particular attention to gender mainstreaming and mainstreaming

intergenerational dialogue (you may wish to refer to the Gender mainstreaming strategy for

IUCN events)

Enhance participants’ understanding by –

Ensuring active participation and learning by using innovative design and formats for your

event

Exploring issues associated with the thematic area

Conveying new knowledge or improved understanding about issues

Illustrating personal, organizational or societal changes that helped achieve significant

outcomes

Identifying new challenges, opportunities, approaches, innovations, or solutions relevant to

the theme

Be balanced with respect to –

Different perspectives and positions on the topic addressed

The scope of stakeholders associated with the topic

Gender and age, in terms of roles in the event and the topics covered

Overall diversity

Ensure alignment with both Congress themes and Forum objectives