On 9 June 2026, the Opening Ceremony of the IMC Workshop on Mangrove Conservation and Restoration for the Asia-Pacific Region was held in Shenzhen, China. A total of 24 representatives from 10 economies, including Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, People's Republic of China, Peru, The Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam, as well as international and regional organizations such as the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) and the Ramsar Regional Center – East Asia (RRC-EA), participated in the workshop. Representatives from the International Mangrove Center(IMC), the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet), the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China (NFGA), and the Urban Planning and Natural Resources Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality (Shenzhen Municipal Forestry Bureau) attended the event.
Photo: Opening Ceremony of the IMC Workshop on Mangrove Conservation and Restoration for the Asia-Pacific Region
At the opening ceremony, Prof. Bao Daming, Director General of the Interim Secretariat of the IMC, emphasized that the Asia-Pacific region is home to nearly half of the world's mangrove resources and plays a critical role in global mangrove conservation. He noted that the IMC currently has 8 Member States and 12 signatory States, and that its 1st Meeting of the Council will be convened in July. He expressed the hope that the workshop would further strengthen regional exchanges and cooperation and contribute to enhanced capacity for mangrove conservation across the region.
Dr. Wang Chunfeng, Executive Director of APFNet, congratulated the IMC on the entry into force of its Establishment Agreement of the International Mangrove Center. He noted that the significant slowdown in global mangrove loss since 2010 reflects the importance of collective action, and highlighted opportunities for closer collaboration between APFNet and the IMC on mangrove conservation and restoration in the Asia-Pacific region.
Mr. Xu Songming, the Director General Urban Planning and Natural Resources Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality (Shenzhen Municipal Forestry Bureau) emphasized Shenzhen's long-standing commitment to ecological conservation and green development, as well as its extensive experience in mangrove conservation and restoration. He noted that platforms such as the IMC and the upcoming APEC Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Forestry provide valuable opportunities to deepen regional exchanges and promote the sharing of ecological conservation practices.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Mr. Ignacio Rodríguez, Executive Director of the Rio Cruces Wetland Center in Chile and a member of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) of the Convention on Wetlands, observed that although the Asia-Pacific region and Chile differ in ecological conditions, they face many common challenges related to biodiversity conservation, blue carbon development and ecological restoration. He welcomed the opportunity to share experiences and perspectives from Latin America and temperate wetland ecosystems, while learning from participants across the region and contributing to collective efforts for global mangrove conservation.
The workshop is jointly organized by the International Mangrove Center and the Urban Planning and Natural Resources Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality(Shenzhen Municipal Forestry Bureau) , and hosted by the Guangdong Neilingding Futian National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau and the National Academy of Forestry and Grassland Administration.