70th General Assembly – Program and Speakers
Held under the theme Bridges to Biodiversity, the 70th General Assembly in Cascais (18-21 April 2024) promises to be an opportunity for us to celebrate our shared passion for sustainable use.
As part of our action-packed agenda this coming April, we will be exploring environmental issues, all through the lens of the CIC’s role as a convener within the conservation sector.
The General Assembly Program below gives a preview of some of the topics we will be diving into together with all of you, as well as the high-level speakers and Technical Sessions we have lined up. Please note that the Program may be subject to change over the coming weeks.
In addition – as part of a new format – Division Presidents will be leading a number of our Sessions, shaping our exploration into wildlife issues through the lens of the CIC’s extended Network.
Another first for us will be the introduction of break-out Sessions, allowing attendees to engage in topics that truly interest them and in a more interactive format.
Want to know more about the 70th General Assembly?
Visit the General Assembly website, where you can also register your attendance for Cascais!
The National Palace of Mafra (Excursion)
The National Palace of Mafra is a baroque architectural complex consisting of a royal palace, basilica, convent, garden and enclosure. Built in 1711 by King João V to fulfill a vow for the birth of a first-born son, the Mafra Palace hosts a variety of impressive collections and artefacts, contributing to the site being listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019.
For this Palace, King João V commissioned sculptures and paintings from Italian and Portuguese masters, Italian vestments, French tapestries and – in Flanders – two carillons with 92 bells. It also boasts a set of six historic organs in the basilica, on top of a library with around 30,000 volumes, making it the largest collection of books in a single room throughout all of Europe. From the convent nucleus, the infirmary stands out as a notable feature – the only surviving part from its original construction.
