During the 2026 National Protected Areas Meeting (Encuentro Nacional de Áreas Protegidas), organized by The Pew Charitable Trusts and held on October 14 at the Centro Cultural La Moneda, a panel discussion was held to present the Chilean Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Committee is made up of Así Conserva Chile A.G., Fundación Mar Adentro and Fundación Tierra Austral, and aims to promote greater coordination among the organizations and experts affiliated with the Union in Chile.
The event created a space for members of the various IUCN commissions present in Chileto meet, learn about ongoing work, and identify opportunities for collaboration. In addition, a national call was made to members of these commissions to get involved in the process of strengthening the Chilean Committee.
The session featured María Fernanda Burneo, Regional Coordinator for Membership and Institutional Relations at IUCN, who explained how the organization works at the international level and the role of its commissions. Francisca Bardi, from Así Conserva Chile A.G, the organization that chairs the Chilean Committee, presented the work being carried out in the country. Felipe Paredes, of Oceana and Vice Chair of the Marine Team of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), also took part and shared his experience. The meeting generated strong interest among the commissions in participating in this process and moving toward more coordinated work.
As a next step, the Committee plans to develop a map of the active commissions in Chile, identifying their members, geographic distribution, and activities. This assessment will make it possible to recognize capacities, needs, and opportunities, and to define collaboration mechanisms that help the Committee represent and coordinate the work of the individuals and organizations connected to IUCN in the country.
The Chilean Committee’s call seeks to respond to the need to connect the experts and organizations that are part of the IUCN networkThe panel discussion was a first step in that direction and toward strengthening our joint contribution to nature conservation in Chile. We thank all the individuals and organizations that showed interest in this space.