With IUCN, who have set up the “Protected Areas” theme, UNDP will identify and promote successful approaches to protected area management and governance. Working in around 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities and being a key provider of technical assistance to protected areas around the world, UNDP brings added strength to PANORAMA through its vast network, outstanding institutional reputation, diverse expertise and large project portfolio.

UNDP, in close collaboration with IUCN, plans to systematically document lessons from past and ongoing PA projects as “solutions”, and to support uptake of good practices through knowledge-brokering. Both partners plan to convene joint learning workshops on key PA topics, relying on PANORAMA’s “solutioning” methodology, and to prepare joint communication and knowledge products. Awards and contests will identify and celebrate innovation. Further, UNDP will act as a champion for PANORAMA’s other thematic areas, contributing by making links to its ongoing initiatives.

IUCN and UNDP already worked together in 2014 on a GEF funded project for building capacity on protected area management through knowledge sharing and innovation, which helped to develop a prototype PANORAMA online platform and build up a portfolio of “solution” case studies. These formed the nucleus of the current PANORAMA “Protected areas” theme.

The collaboration has now been rekindled through the inaugural Pathfinder Award for innovation in nature conservation, which celebrates solutions for protected and conserved area financing and resourcing. The award has attracted around 200 nominations, and all eligible nominated solutions are published on the PANORAMA web platform. Co-organizing the award with IUCN has led UNDP to express interest in formally joining the PANORAMA partnership.

The 14^th UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP14), held in Egypt this month, not only provided the venue for celebrating the Pathfinder Award winners and launching PANORAMA’s new “Business engagement” theme, but also served as the occasion to officially welcome UNDP to PANORAMA.

Notes to editors:

PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet is a partnership initiative to document and promote examples of inspiring, replicable solutions across a range of conservation and sustainable development topics, enabling cross-sectoral learning and inspiration.

Its web platform with currently around 470 solutions from over 70 countries is open to a wide range of “solution providers”, representing NGOs, government institutions, academia and other contributors. Solutions are organized in thematic communities (reflected through “portals” on the web platform), including Marine and coastal, Protected areas, Ecosystem-based adaptation, Agriculture and biodiversity and Business engagement, with each theme being coordinated by one or several institutions. More themes are expected to be integrated in the future. All PANORAMA solutions are documented following a unique “building block” format that encourages replication, adaptation and upscaling across sectors and regions. Solutions are being promoted further through a range of communication and peer learning formats, including workshops, webinars and publications.

PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet is currently led by seven key players in the field of nature conservation and sustainable development: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), IUCN, UN Environment, GRID-Arendal, Rare, IFOAM – Organics International and most recently United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). GIZ and IUCN share the secretariat function.