IUCN Specialist Group on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas: Work plan 2013-2017

The Steering Committee of the IUCN WCPA SG CSVPA has prepared a four year work plan aiming to improve the understanding, recognition and safeguarding of cultural and spiritual values, meaning, and knowledge related to all aspects of protected areas and promote their full integration into all aspects of protected area management.

The Plan has six strategic directions:

1. Scope: The full range of cultural and spiritual values in relation to protected areas so that it highlights the importance of knowledge and meaning as well as values in spiritual and cultural views of nature.

2. Mainstreaming: Mainstream cultural and spiritual values more deeply into the work of IUCN and other conservation agencies.

3. Institutional alliances: Further develop and strengthen the institutional linkages and alliances that CSVPA enjoys with other institutions both within and outside IUCN.

4. Climate change: Focus significant efforts on cultural and spiritual values and views in relation to the urgent issue of global climate change.

5. Frameworks: Further develop and harmonize frameworks for the identification, protection, and integration of cultural and spiritual values related to protected areas and landscapes. Specific focus will be on extending international frameworks to the national level but attention will also be given to up-scaling local and regional frameworks to be integrated at the national and international levels.

6. Membership: Recruit a wider range of members who have talents and expertise that would broaden and advance the goals of CSVPA. Provide services and opportunities to engage the interest of the membership and motivate greater participation in CSVPA activities.