SPNL executive board members lead by SPNL President Affaf Saidi, and SPNL team lead by SPNL CEO Assad Serhal and Hima representatives from Hamanna, Anfeh & Ras ElMetn, were honored to receive and hold a meeting at SPNL office , Hamra ,H.E. Zhang Xinsheng , President and Chairman of the Council of The World Conservation Union IUCN , The world Leading Environmental International Conservation . Where H.E. explained about IUCN & his own previous experiences & positions as minister & mayor at China & the many prestigious positions he handled with UNESCO & World Heritage Sites & others and assured SPNL of their continued support www.iucn .org.
H.E. Zhang Xinsheng showed great interest and congratulated SPNL on its Hima revival efforts that gained national and international recognition including IUCN motion 122.
Motion 122, Promoting and supporting community resource management and conservation as a foundation for sustainable development, was presented by Ministry of Environment- Austria and SPNL- Lebanon and co-sponsored by several NGO’s, was adopted with +95% of positive votes during 5th IUCN World Conservation Congress, in 2012.
The new resolution # 122 will facilitate and enhance a broad exchange of information on current community resource management programs and systems. in addition to, their levels of success, or reasons for failure to take place among practitioners, relevant interest groups and international conservation and development organizations. The emphasis should be placed on capacity building to contribute to the further development of community resource management programs.
The new resolution focuses on the importance of developing and implementing broad policy coherence amongst Multilateral Environmental Agreements and conservation organizations which would be beneficial for the conservation of terrestrial biodiversity through community resource management programs.
The resolution also recognizes the various forms and names of Community Conservation, such as Al Hima (ﺍﻟﺣﻣﻰ), Mahjar, Agdal, Qoroq, Adat or any similar systems of community-based management present in West Asia and North Africa, as a holistic approach that empowers local and traditional knowledge, culture and heritage, including the conservation of natural resources and a boost to livelihoods.
SPNL ( Birdlife Lebanon ) is the first IUCN member from Lebanon , where SPNL current CEO & Founding member of both SPNL & ACS , and first manager of Alshouf Cedar Reserve 1996-2001 , welcomed H.E. and assistants & Dr.Hany El Shaer Director of IUCN office at Amman , and Mis Ola Mallah , where he explained that he 1st joined IUCN as consultant Year 1981, and then introduced IUCN to SPNL year 1984 , and later LEF Environment NGO members & the Lebanese ministry of Environment year 1993 , where together proposed & initiated Lebanon’s 1st three protected areas project, where IUCN helped secure the needed funding from GEF and project initiated Year 1996 . www.birdlife .org
SPNL President Affaf Osseiran Saidi, welcomed our honorary guests and explained on our 4 decades partnership with IUCN & Birdlife International, and thanked them for their continued support to our Himas & nature & people of Lebanon.
Jamal Hamzieh gave a ppt highlighting SPNL main accomplishments in the last year , with Special focus on our running MAVA Founded Project Shouf BioSphere Reserve in partnership with AlShouf Cedar Society , using the SPNL revived Hima approach in partnership and support over the Years from IUCN , Birdlife International , EU , UNDP & UN-Women , CEPF , Japan Embassy , LUSH , GIZ , EuroNature , mercy corps , GEF and many other National & International partners and organizations , and respected ministries of Interior , Environment , Agriculture & Tourism , in addition to over than 25 municipalities from All regions of Lebanon , in Important Birds & Biodiversity Areas ( IBBAs ) and Key Biodiversity Areas ( KBAs ) of International & National importance .
