From 2 to 4 December, the 7th Dinaric Parks Conference was held in Podgorica at the VOCO Hotel—one of the most important regional gatherings dedicated to improving the management of protected areas. The conference was jointly organized by the NGO Dinaric Parks, the Dinaric Arc Protected Areas Network, and the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development of Montenegro. The event brought together protected area managers from across the Dinaric Arc and served as a key platform for the exchange of experiences, capacity building, and the advancement of management practices. Through joint efforts, participants contribute to a stronger system of nature protection.
During the conference, global and European trends in nature conservation were discussed, including the establishment of the Natura 2000 network, modern tools for improving protected area management, the integration of biodiversity into sectoral policies, and further cooperation between Dinaric Parks and the EUROPARC Federation. Conference participants were also addressed by leading international experts Mihael Hošek, President of the EUROPARC Federation, and Oliver Avramoski, Director of the IUCN ECARO Office. Their presentations provided valuable insights into European and global obligations in the field of nature conservation, available tools for more effective protected area management, and opportunities to strengthen the position of the Dinaric region as a model for sustainable development and the protection of natural values.
The conference concluded with the message that it is a shared responsibility of all participants to continue strengthening institutional capacities, improving management practices, and building partnerships that will enable nature protection and development to go hand in hand.