11 October 2013: The tenth World Wilderness Congress (WILD10) convened in Salamanca, Spain, from 4-10 October 2013, with the theme ‘Make the World a Wilder Place,’ and concluded with the adoption of the ‘Salamanca Statement’ as well as the launch of new initiatives focused on youth and cities.

Held every 2-3 years, the meeting brought together over 1000 participants from over 60 countries, including over 100 traditional leaders, along with many online participants, representing a wide range of stakeholders.

Preceded by the Intergovernmental Forum on Wilderness (2-3 October 2013), WILD10 consisted of two main sessions. The Global Gathering (4-6 October 2013) convened plenary sessions on solution-oriented approaches to conservation issues. The Global Forum (8-10 October 2013) consisted of concurrent meetings, workshops, symposia, capacity building activities and cultural events. WILD10 also included an expo tent featuring institutional, educational, artistic and commercial exhibits.

WILD10’s central outcomes included: a series of draft resolutions, to be finalized the week following the meeting and posted online; the ‘Salamanca Statement,’ a 12-page policy statement; the launch of CoalitionWILD, an initiative to support youth leaders and young professionals in conservation; the launch of the WILD Cities Coalition and project, for promoting wild spaces in urban areas; the launch of the Nature Strategy for Sustainability; the official launch of Rewilding Europe Capital, a pioneer, loan-based fund to support conservation enterprises in Europe; and the launch of the European Rewilding Network. [IISD RS Coverage of the Meeting] [WILD10 Program]