IUCN Leaders Forum in Switzerland 2024 – Call for Change Makers

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About IUCN Leaders Forum in Switzerland

Selected young change-makers will join leaders from around the world at the IUCN Leaders Forum in Geneva in October 2024 to advance nature-positive solutions and design concrete actions for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework goals and targets at the local, national, and regional levels. Young change-makers will have an exclusive opportunity to pitch their projects to influential global leaders from the private sector, government, and civil society.

The IUCN Leaders Forum is an annual event that gathers in-person leaders and change-makers from around the world to discuss innovative solutions to critical global challenges, make bold commitments, build partnerships, and catalyze action for impactful change in nature conservation and sustainability.

About the IUCN Leaders Forum

The IUCN Leaders Forum convenes annually, bringing together global leaders and changemakers to address critical challenges in nature conservation and sustainability, foster partnerships, and drive impactful action. The inaugural event, held in Jeju Province, Republic of Korea, in October 2022, focused on building nature-positive economies and societies, attracting over 500 participants from various sectors. The second edition, held in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2023, aimed to translate the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework into action following its adoption at the UN Biodiversity Conference.

Scheduled for October 8 to 10, 2024, the third edition of the Forum will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, in-person and virtually, under the theme “Harnessing Innovation, Enabling Conservation.” Set against the backdrop of the upcoming Rio Convention COPs, the 2024 Forum will spotlight innovative solutions to the triple planetary crisis, emphasizing the integration of nature into energy systems, food and agriculture, and human health. It will assess progress in monitoring, regulatory frameworks, reporting directives, and financing mechanisms, exploring avenues such as private sector investment, philanthropy, subsidy reallocation, and alignment of climate and biodiversity funding with global goals.

Forum Objectives

The IUCN Leaders Forum 2024 will focus on three primary objectives:

• Convening influential leaders from various sectors to facilitate dialogue, build trust, and identify multi-stakeholder solutions to conservation challenges.
• Providing an annual platform for global leaders to discuss environmental issues, track progress towards 2030 targets, and keep nature a priority in policy agendas.
• Creating networking opportunities for young changemakers to connect with potential collaborators and develop innovative environmental projects.

• Sponsor Organisation: One Young World

Benefits of IUCN Leaders Forum in Switzerland

As a selected participant, you will benefit from the program as follows:

• Delegate access to the IUCN Leaders Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, from 8 to 10 October 2024.
• An exclusive opportunity to pitch your environmental action project to influential global leaders from the private sector, government, and civil society.
• Hotel accommodation in Geneva from 7 to 11 October 2024.
• Return travel to Geneva, Switzerland.
• Meals and other expenses are covered for your stay in Geneva.

IUCN Leaders Forum in Switzerland Requirements

Applicants must have the following:

• Applicants are aged 18 – 35.
• Have a track record of leadership and innovation in nature conservation, biodiversity, climate change, or sustainable development.
• You are currently engaged in an innovative solution that addresses nature, climate, and biodiversity crises with a societal challenges nexus.
• Prioritize initiatives fostering equity, inclusivity, intergenerational collaboration, and rights-based approaches.
• Seeking diverse global changemakers, especially from the Global South, minority groups, Indigenous peoples, local communities, and young female leaders.

Application Date and Process

• Click on the link to the application website to apply.

Application Deadline

28 May, 2024

Scholarship Application Portal

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