From 23 to 27 February 2026, WCS Mozambique held a training workshop on Human Rights and Safeguards in Conservation at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Maputo, as part of the Futuro Azul project.
The event brought together 28 participants from different organisations, including WCS Mozambique, WCS Global, DAI/COAST, Kampos SA, Blue Forest, and ICEI. The training was facilitated by Heidi Kretser, Director of Rights + Communities and Chair of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at WCS Global, with technical contributions from Diane Detoeuf (WCS Global) and Carlos Meirinhos (WCS Mozambique).
The aim was to strengthen the capacity of teams to implement a human rights-based approach in conservation projects, ensuring compliance with social and environmental safeguards throughout the project cycle.
Over five days, topics such as identifying rights holders and stakeholders, gender and inclusion, preventing gender-based violence, environmental safeguards, grievance mechanisms, mitigating access restrictions, and natural resource governance tools were addressed, among other topics. The event also included several practical activities to consolidate the theoretical component and its application in our daily work.
The training is part of the Futuro Azul project, supported by the COAST Facility, funded by the British Government, reinforcing the institutional commitment to integrate robust safeguards and responsible practices in the implementation of coastal conservation initiatives.