Every 10 years, the IUCN World Parks Congress (WPC) brings together conservation experts from around the world to share information and ideas, and set a global policy agenda for protected areas. The 5th IUCN World Parks Congress was held in Durban, South Africa from September 8–17, 2004, and was attended by approximately 3,000 protected area experts, practitioners, and decision makers.

The 5th WPC brought human–wildlife conflict (HWC) to the global stage as part of an effort to address current challenges facing protected area management and conservation. The HWC recommendation (included in this issue) was informed by a technical workshop that was part of the WPC proceedings. The workshop entitled “Creating Coexistence Between Humans and Wildlife: Global Perspectives on Local Efforts to Address Human-Wildlife Conflict” combined vigorous

debate on human–wildlife conflict issues with a technical focus on useful outputs for those working in the profession. The workshop created “a unique opportunity to take stock [of the issues] … provide an honest appraisal of progress and setbacks;

and chart the course for protected areas over the next decade and beyond” (IUCN, 2003).

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