Who are we
About the ICCN
ICCN Objectives
Specific Objectives
- Maintain and develop a network of Protected Areas that is viable and representative of the biodiversity of the DRC ;
- Develop and implement a high-performance system for the sustainable management of natural resources within Protected Areas ;
- Enable the ICCN to secure sustainable funding to meet investment needs in Protected Areas ;
- Serve as a framework of reference for the planning, partnership, and promotion of conservation in the protected areas of the DRC ;
- Foster cross-border collaboration and the participation of local communities and other stakeholders involved in conservation ;
- Safeguard the health of wildlife and plant species, as well as their ecosystems.
Overall Objective
Ensure the in situ and ex situ conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity within the DRC’s network of protected areas.
ICCN Motto
Preserve for humanity.
History of the ICCN
A guardian of Congolese natural heritage
Traditional nature conservation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) dates back to the colonial era, notably with the establishment in 1900 of the Eala Botanical Gardens in Équateur Province and the Kisantu Botanical Gardens in Kongo Central Province (ex situ conservation), followed later—on April 21, 1925—by the creation of Albert Park (now Virunga National Park), the first national park in the Congo (located in North Kivu Province) and in Africa (in situ conservation).
In 1934, the Institute of National Parks of the Belgian Congo (IPNCB) was established to manage the protected areas created during the colonial period. In 1967, the IPNCB was renamed the “National Institute for Nature Conservation” (INCN) and subsequently the “Zairian Institute for Nature Conservation” (IZCN) under Ordinance-Law No. 75-023 of July 22, 1975. Its statutes were amended and supplemented by Law No. 78-190 of May 5, 1978—which established the legal status of a public enterprise named the Zairian Institute for Nature Conservation (IZCN)—and was governed by Framework Law No. 78-002 of February 6, 1978, laying down general provisions applicable to public enterprises. In this capacity, the IZCN possessed its own distinct legal personality, enjoying financial and administrative autonomy.
It was not until 1997—when the Republic of Zaire reverted to the name Democratic Republic of the Congo—that the Institute adopted its current name: the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN).
Since 2010, the ICCN has been transformed into a public institution pursuant to Decree No. 10/15 of April 10, 2010, which established its statutes and defined its corporate purpose. Thus, it is also governed by Law No. 08/009 of July 7, 2008, laying down general provisions applicable to public institutions. And, as in the past, the ICCN possesses its own distinct legal personality, along with financial and administrative autonomy.
