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The First Latin American Congress on National Parks and Other Protected Areas which took place in Santa Marta, Colombia in 1997 and, ten years later, the Second one, held in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina in 2007, were venues in which those present had the opportunity to reflect on the management of natural resources in this region of the planet.

In both cases, there were sensible exchanges of experiences and fruitful debates which in themselves constitute a fundamental part of the rich evolution of thought.��

The abundant results of the First and Second congresses have strengthened the management of the protected areas in our countries and, consequently, they should be the object of frequent consultation.

Beyond natural agreement and discord, in these events we have gradually built an ambitious vision that consider the protected areas as strategic spaces for the integral development of our countries, a fact that puts forward a series of challenges.

These are some of the reasons for UNEP’s interest in the follow-up of the process during the last decade and its projection into the future. Therefore our decisive support of the initiative “From Santa Marta 1997 to Bariloche 2007”, from which arises this post-Bariloche document, supplementing the document presented during the last Congress.