AFD Group at the IUCN World Conservation Congress

Preparing future area-based management tools, including Marine Protected Areas, under the BBNJ Agreement

10/09/2025, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Pavilion - R1

Participants:

• Cyrille Barnerias, Director of European and International Relations, French Biodiversity Agency (OFB)
• Giovanni Broussard, Acting Global Chief and Africa Coordinator, Environment Team, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
• Matthieu Legrix, Head of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Biodiversity Division, Agence Française de Développement
• Guillermo Ortuño Crespo, Independent Research Consultant; Member, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (2021–2025)
• Ted Schmitt, Principal Director, OLMO Earth Partnerships, Allen Institute for AI
• Jan Steffen, Regional Program Director, GIZ – German Agency for International Cooperation (GmbH)

• COMBO+ and the Avoid-Reduce-Compensate sequence: 10 years of lessons learned in reconciling development and conservation

October 9, 2025, 2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m., France Pavilion, Hybrid

Participants:

• Aurélien Guingand, Biodiversity Project Manager, AFD
• Amrei von Hase, Biodiversity and Mitigation Specialist, Wildlife Conservation Society

• The COMBO+ adventure: Ten years of reconciling economic development and biodiversity conservation

09/10/2025, 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., IUCN Business Pavilion, Hybrid

Participants:

• Hugo Miguel Costa, Director of Business and Biodiversity Impact; Member, IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (2021–2025)
• Aurélien Guingand, Biodiversity Project Manager, AFD
• Sean Nazerali, Director of Innovative Finance, BIOFUND Mozambique
• Rija Ranajvoarison, Executive Director, Madagascar Foundation for Protected Areas and Biodiversity
• Mathieu Souquet, Regional Director for Overseas Territories and Head of Biotope Madagascar, Biotope
• Amrei von Hase, Biodiversity and Mitigation Specialist, Wildlife Conservation Society

• Preview: IUCN explanatory guide to the High Seas Treaty

October 9, 2025, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Pavilion - R1

Participants:

• Odile Conchou, Senior Nature Advisor, AFD
• Jimpson Dávila Ordoñez, Director, Marine Governance Program, Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA)
• Daniel Kachelriess, Independent Expert; Member, IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (2021–2025)
• Angélique Pouponneau, Environmental Lawyer, SIDS expert, and advocate for global common goods

• Towards a Regenerative Blue Economy

10/09/2025, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Pavilion - R2 , Hybrid

Participants:

• Matthieu Legrix, Head of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Biodiversity Division, AFD
• Aurélie Spadone, Programme Manager, Ocean Governance, IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature

• Reorienting sectoral public policies for better productive practices: Integrating biodiversity

10/10/2025, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., CS-Nature-Climate-People Nexus, Hybrid 

Participants: 

• Marie Bjornson-Langen, Deputy Executive Director, Sustainable Development Solutions, AFD
• Mosese Bilitavu, Minister for the Environment, Fiji
• Augustin Orou Matilo Timothée Bio, National Focal Point for the Convention on Biological Diversity, Directorate General of Water, Forests and Hunting
• Barbara Pompili, Ambassador for the Environment, France
• Rantonirina Rakotoaridera, Forestry Engineer, Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development of Madagascar; National Focal Point for the Convention on Biological Diversity

• Exploring the potential of agricultural landscapes as IUCNs

10/10/2025, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., IUCN Program 2026-2029 Pavilion - R2 , Hybrid 

Participants: 

• Frédéric Castell, Senior Officer for Natural Resources, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Stephen Woodley, Vice Chair for Science, IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)
• Matthieu Legrix, Head of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Biodiversity Division, AFD
• Dung Xuan Nguyen, Head of the Division of Ecology and Natural Landscapes/NBCA/MAE, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment
• Suneetha Mazhenchery Subramanian, Research Fellow, United Nations University – Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
• Paulina Karim, Assistant Professor, National Dong Hwa University; Agency for Nature and Forest Protection
• Manh Hiep Nguyen, Biodiversity Coordinator, IUCN Secretariat

•  Integrating biodiversity into sectoral public policies in 15 countries: The BIODEV2030 method

10/10/2025, 2:00-2:45 p.m., France Pavilion

Participants:

• Camille Hosteint, Programme Coordinator, WWF France
• Matthieu Legrix, Head of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Biodiversity Division, AFD
• Razingrim Ouedraogo, Senior Programme Coordinator, Economics Team, IUCN Secretariat

• Antonin Vergez, Senior Expert in Natural Resource Economics, IUCN Secretariat

   

• Ocean governance: Understanding the High Seas Treaty (BBNJ)

10/10/2025, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Conference Hall B: Session Room 9

Participants: 

• Odile Conchou, Senior Advisor for Nature, AFD
• Minna Epps, Director, Global Marine and Polar Programme, IUCN Secretariat
• Kristina Gjerde, Senior Advisor for the High Seas, IUCN
• Barbara Lausche, Director, Marine Policy Institute, Mote Marine Laboratory
• Neema Pathak Broome, International Policy Coordinator, ICCA Consortium
• Heidi Weiskel, Acting Head, Global Oceans Team, IUCN

• The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions (Version 2)

10/10/2025, 3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m., France Pavilion

Participants:

• Cyrille Barnerias, Director of European and International Relations, French Office for Biodiversity
• Marie Bjornson-Langen, Deputy Executive Director, Sustainable Development Solutions, AFD
• Laureen Calcat, Head of Biodiversity Policy, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
• Emmanuelle Cohen-Shacham, Head of the IUCN CEM Thematic Group on Nature-based Solutions, IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management
• Aurélien Guingand, Biodiversity Project Manager, AFD
• Charles Karangwa, Global Head of Nature-based Solutions, IUCN
• Sébastien Moncorps, Director, French Committee of IUCN

• The Power of Partnership: Recognizing Support for the IUCN Green List

10/10/2025, 4:00 p.m. - 4:40 p.m., CS-Conservation Action, Hybrid

Participants:

• Cyrille Barnerias, Director of European and International Relations, French Office for Biodiversity
• Odile Conchou, Senior Advisor for Nature, AFD
• Aileen Lee, Head of Programs, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
• Philippe Mayaux, Senior Expert, European Union
• Silke Spohn, Head of the Biodiversity, Environment and Ocean Programme, GIZ
• Jan Steffen, Regional Programme Director, GIZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GmbH)

• Finding common ground: Dialogues for sustainable food and agriculture

10/10/2025, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., IUCN Program 2026-2029 Pavilion - R1

Participants:

• Silvia Cardellino, Senior Programme Officer, Food and Agricultural Systems, IUCN
• Duc Hieu Bui, Deputy Director General, Department of International Cooperation (DCI), Ministry of Agriculture and Environment
• Ramesh Krishnamurthy, Scientist and Professor, Wildlife Institute of India
• Mayra Lissette Motta Padilla, Deputy Minister, VISAR, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA)
• Thanh Phong Nguyen, Mekong Delta Programme Manager, IUCN Vietnam
• Barbara Pompili, Ambassador for the Environment, France
• Alexandre Rutikanga, Chief Technical Advisor, Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources
• Sougalo Soulama, Researcher, National Commission for the Management of Plant Genetic Resources

• Advancing sustainable agriculture through policy and legal coherence

10/10/2025, 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Pavilion - R2

Participants:

• Elodie Champseix, Natural Resources Officer, IUCN Europe
• José Luis Chicoma, President, Future of Food Programme, The New Institute
• Matthieu Legrix, Head of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Biodiversity Division, AFD
• Duc Tuan Nguyen, Governance and Policy Coordinator, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• Van Manh Lai, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Economics, Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE)

• High-level event: Launch of the updated Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions

10/10/2025, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Hall 4C: Session Room 3, Hybrid 

Participants: 

• Angela Andrade, Chair, IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, IUCN
• Marie Bjornson-Langen, Deputy Executive Director, Sustainable Development Solutions, AFD
• Claudine Blamey, Head of Sustainable Development, Aviva
• Yoko Watanabe, Director (Environment), Asian Development Bank

Farming with nature: Monitoring land health through functional biodiversity

10/11/2025, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., Learning Zone Pavilion: Tools for Nature

Participants:

• Matthieu Legrix, Head of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Biodiversity Division, AFD
• Alberto Martín, Project Officer, Nature Conservation and Food Systems, IUCN Secretariat
• Mercedes Muñoz Cañas, Programme Officer, Nature Conservation and Food Systems / Marine Biodiversity and Blue Economy, IUCN Secretariat
• Belén Quintana Martín-Montalvo, Programme Assistant, IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation

• Presentation of concrete actions in the field as part of the France-IUCN partnership for sustainable agriculture and food 

October 11, 2025, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., France Pavilion 

Participants: 

• Ibelice Añino, Pro Tempore President, Central American Agricultural Council (CAC-SICA), Ministry of Agricultural Development
• Lucas Blanchard Sultan, Project Manager, French Ministry of Agriculture
• Pascale Bonzom, Global Head of Food and Agricultural Systems, IUCN
• Duc Hieu Bui, Deputy Director General, Department of International Cooperation (DCI), Ministry of Agriculture and Environment
• Silvia Cardellino, Senior Programme Officer, Food and Agricultural Systems, IUCN
• Archana Godbole, Director, Foundation for Applied Environmental Research
• Matthieu Legrix, Head of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Biodiversity Division, AFD
• Adolfo Ottoniel Monterroso Rivas, National Project Coordinator, IUCN
• Alexandre Rutikanga, Chief Technical Advisor, Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources

• BIODEV2030: Bringing together local actors and donors to implement the KMGBF

11/10/2025, 4:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m., France Pavilion

Participants:

• Odile Conchou, Senior Advisor for Nature, AFD
• Pierre Mbida Mfomo Ngandi, Support Manager, Ministry of the Environment
• Catherine Mungai, Senior Programme Officer, Climate and Biodiversity Engagement, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• Wouala Ngniado, Project Coordinator, BIODEV2030, WWF Cameroon
• Hang Nguyen Bich, Project Manager, WWF Vietnam

• High-level event on innovative financing mechanisms for scaling up Nature-based Solutions (NbS)

October 11, 2025, 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Hall 4A: Session Room 1

Participants:

• Marie Bjornson-Langen, Deputy Executive Director, Sustainable Development Solutions, AFD
• Claudine Blamey, Head of Sustainable Development, Aviva
• Melissa de Kock, Deputy Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Alvin Lopez, Team Leader, Nature Solutions Finance Hub, Asian Development Bank
• Stewart Maginnis, Deputy Programme Director, IUCN
• Kongjian Yu, Professor, Peking University

IUCN flagship report. How can we feed the world while restoring and conserving nature?

10/12/2025, 10:30 a.m. - 11:10 a.m., Learning Zone Pavilion: Publications Hub

Participants:

• Pascale Bonzom, Global Lead, Food and Agricultural Systems, IUCN
• Thomas Brooks, Chief Scientist, IUCN Secretariat
• Matthieu Legrix, Head of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Biodiversity Division, AFD

• How can biodiversity integration guide the achievement of ambitious national goals? 

October 12, 2025, 2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m., France Pavilion

Participants:

• Aurélien Guingand, Biodiversity Project Manager, AFD
• Razingrim Ouedraogo, Senior Programme Coordinator, Economics Team, IUCN Secretariat