About Us
Identity and Mission
A New Vision for Protected Area Management in the DRC
By 2035, the DRC’s network of protected areas is managed effectively and sustainably, in collaboration with local communities as well as national and international partners, contributing to the improved well-being of the Congolese people and of humanity as a whole.
ICCN Core Values
The 4 Ps
Professionalism
Technical and scientific excellence in ecosystem management.
Performance
A culture of results and efficiency to achieve our conservation objectives.
Pragmatism
Concrete solutions tailored to the realities of each protected area.
Patriotism
To act in the best interests of the nation and of future generations.
ICCN Mission
We preserve for the future of humanity.
Nature conservation in the DRC dates back to the colonial era, notably with the establishment in 1900 of the Eala and Kisantu Botanical Gardens (an ex situ initiative), followed later—on April 21, 1925—by the creation of Albert Park (now the Virunga National Park), the first National Park (in situ) in the Congo and Central Africa.
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 legal status was amended and expanded by Law No. 78-190 of May 5, 1978—which established the statutes for 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 being the 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.
Consequently, 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.
In 2010, the ICCN merged with the IJBZC (the Institute of Botanical and Zoological Gardens of the Congo).
Thus, in accordance with the aforementioned Decree, the ICCN’s objective is nature conservation within protected areas, both in situ and ex situ.
In this capacity, it is responsible, for :
- Ensure the protection of flora and fauna ;
- Enhance the value of biodiversity by fostering scientific research and facilitating ecotourism activities, in accordance with applicable legislation and in observance of fundamental conservation principles ;
- To conduct—or commission the conduct of—studies, and to ensure the dissemination of their findings for scientific and educational purposes within the field of conservation. This Strategy places particular emphasis on scientific research as a pillar of the sustainable management of Protected Areas (PAs), the sustainable utilization of their natural resources, and the promotion of tourism within them. It serves as the foundation for providing the information and knowledge necessary for the conservation, as well as the sustainable and rational management, of natural resources within PAs.
