A Ministerial Conference organised by the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Culture of Italy, will mark the 25th anniversary of the Council of Europe Landscape Convention (known as the "Florence Convention"). The session - which will take place in the Villa Medicea "La Petraia" in Florence, Italy, on 28 October - will be opened by the Italian Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli and by the Deputy Secretary General Björn Berge. Opening speeches will also be delivered by the Italian Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, by Parliamentary Assembly member Senator Aurora Floridia and by the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Marc Cools (pre-recorded statement).
The aim of this high-level event is to reaffirm the pivotal role of the convention and outline its future direction in line with the Reykjavik Declaration, while also serving to implement the Council of Europe Strategy on the Environment. A final declaration will be adopted by participants outlining a strategic vision to strengthening multilateral co-operation and promoting the effective implementation of the convention and its integration in national policies. The conference will emphasise how the implementation of the Landscape Convention can enhance the recognition of landscape quality as an essential resource for safeguarding human rights and addressing the triple planetary crisis of pollution, climate change and loss of biodiversity on human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
In the framework of this event, the European Diploma for protected areas will be awarded to the Sierra Nevada National Park, Nature Park, and Biosphere Reserve in Spain.
The Landscape Convention was opened for signature in Florence, on 20 October 2000. The treaty introduces an innovative concept of landscapes, rooted in human perception, recognising all landscapes as essential to quality of life and cultural heritage. By promoting public awareness, inclusive participation and a multi-stakeholder approach, the convention fosters good democratic governance for sustainable landscape management.
Sierra Nevada Natural and National Park
