European rural communities

Our Mission

In an increasingly urban world, rural people, be they Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities or Rural Communities, are increasingly being left behind. Yet, in order to move towards the 2050 vision of “living in harmony with nature”, we need to make sure that no one is left behind. This means that there also needs
to be resolutions by various global decision makers to be inclusive and include all rural communities in decision-making processes.

While some Indigenous Peoples have been relatively successful in creating space within the various global policy making institutions, such as in IUCN, other rural communities have not. The objective of this conference is to start the process of creating a space for all rural communities, so that the various 2030 policies and targets can truly be inclusive of these communities and their natural resources in all their diversity (water, forests, pastures, fisheries, game, veld, pannage, estover, turbary, piscary, animals ferae naturae etc.).

Organized by the powerhouse trio of IUCN, IASC – Europe, and ICCA Consortium Europe, this event is set to revolutionise the way rural people in Europe are recognised.