Celebrating and Raising Awareness About the Importance of Public-Private Partnerships in International Conservation
Celebrated as the most important event for U.S. leadership in international conservation, the 2025 ICCF U.S. Congressional International Conservation Leadership Gala was held on Tuesday, October 28, at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.
In picture: Actor and Vice-Chair of Conservation International Harrison Ford
This year’s Gala brought together inspirational leaders from across sectors, including H.E. Daniel Chapo, President of the Republic of Mozambique; H.E. Esperança da Costa, Vice President of the Republic of Angola; Rt. Hon. Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva, Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda; Members of Congress including U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Martin Heinrich and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, August Pfluger, and Dave Joyce; Actor and Vice-Chair of Conservation International Harrison Ford; business and NGO leaders including Rob Walton of the Rob Walton Foundation and Cristián Samper of the Bezos Earth Fund; and diplomats and legislators from around the world.
The event honored Founder, Chairman Emeritus, and Former CEO of Conservation International, Founder and Former CEO of Nia Tero, and Chairman of Silvania Peter Seligmann with the ICCF Lifetime Achievement Award; recognized Nick Lapham and The BAND Foundation with the ICCF “Good Steward” Award; and presented to the National Assembly of Ecuador the ICCF Teddy Roosevelt® International Conservation Award, accepted by His Excellency Niels Olsen, President of the Ecuadorian National Assembly.
The ICCF Lifetime Achievement Award
In picture: Peter Seligmann, Founder, Chairman Emeritus, and Former CEO of Conservation International, Founder and Former CEO of Nia Tero, and Chairman of Silvania (left) and Rob Walton, Founder of the Rob Walton Foundation (right)
Honoring Peter Seligmann, Founder, Chairman Emeritus, and Former CEO of Conservation International, Founder and Former CEO of Nia Tero, and Chairman of Silvania
Following a short film produced by Conservation International and introduced on stage by Actor and Vice-Chair of Conservation International Harrison Ford, Rob Walton of the Rob Walton Foundation presented the ICCF Lifetime Achievement Award to Peter Seligmann in recognition of his transformational conservation leadership, including founding Conservation International which, together with partners, has protected more than 1.5 billion acres of forest and oceans, and founding Nia Tero, which ensures that indigenous peoples have a seat at the table in stewarding their natural resources.
The ICCF Teddy Roosevelt® International Conservation Award
In picture: His Excellency Niels Olsen, President of the Ecuadorian National Assembly
Accepted by His Excellency Niels Olsen, President of the Ecuadorian National Assembly
Cristián Samper, Managing Director and Leader for Nature Solutions, Bezos Earth Fund, presented The ICCF Teddy Roosevelt® International Conservation Award to the National Assembly of the Republic of Ecuador. The award was accepted by His Excellency Niels Olsen, President of the Ecuadorian National Assembly, in recognition of the nation’s creation of a National Protected Areas Service, which ensures permanent financial sustainability for Ecuador’s protected areas and reinforces the prohibition of extractive industries within them.
The ICCF "Good Steward" Award
In picture: Nick Lapham (left) and ICCF Founder David H. Barron (right)
Recognizing Nick Lapham and The BAND Foundation
ICCF Founder David H. Barron presented The ICCF "Good Steward" Award to Nick Lapham and The BAND Foundation, for work in landscape and species conservation in the United States, Africa, and Latin America.
Ocean Security, American strength, global stability, and long term prosperity
In picture: Representative Suzanne Bonamici, Co-Chair of the U.S. Congressional Oceans Caucus
Well managed ocean governance is an essential pillar of the country's, and world's, prosperity and security.
House Oceans Caucus Co-Chair Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) highlighted the important role that ocean health and management play in the prosperity of the Oregon coast and the country and introduced the report The Geopolitics of the Ocean, which was guided by WWF, ICCF, and an esteemed Advisory Council made up of Admiral (ret.) Karl Schultz (26th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard), Hon. Timothy Gallaudet (Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (ret.) and former acting NOAA Administrator), Hon. Sarah Ann Lynch (former U.S. Ambassador and Civilian Deputy to the Commander of the U.S. Southern Command), Hon. James B. Story (former U.S. Ambassador and Director of INL for Western Hemisphere), and Scott Clendenin (Rear Admiral (ret.) and former Assistant Commandant for Response Policy of the U.S. Coast Guard). The report puts forward the case for why investing in a healthy ocean is essential to advancing fundamental American priorities and seeks to build an expansive coalition that helps increase understanding and investment at the intersection between national security and ocean health.
Celebrating U.S. - Africa Cooperation in International Conservation
In picture: H.E. Daniel Chapo, President of the Republic of Mozambique
The ICCF Gala welcomed special guest H.E. Daniel Chapo, newly inaugurated President of Mozambique, whose country has emerged as a leader in forging international conservation partnerships, and H.E. Esperança Maria Eduardo Francisco da Costa, Vice President of Angola, who as a biologist has led efforts to preserve Angolan biodiversity for decades, including building partnerships to restore Angola’s national parks. The Gala also welcomed Rt. Hon. Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva, Prime Minister of Rwanda, whose country pioneered the collaborative protected areas management agreements that have become such an exciting force in U.S.–Africa cooperation.
Advancing the Africa Keystone Protected Area Partnership
In picture: H.E. Ana Paula Chantre Luna de Carvalho, Minister of Environment, Angola, (left) and Duko Hopman, Executive Director, Rob Walton Foundation (right)
ICCF facilitated the signing of two MOUs — one between the Rob Walton Foundation and the Republic of Angola, and one between the Rob Walton Foundation and the Republic of Mozambique — to advance the Africa Keystone Protected Area Partnership.
The MOUs were signed on stage by Duko Hopman, Executive Director, Rob Walton Foundation; H.E. Ana Paula Chantre Luna de Carvalho, Minister of Environment, Republic of Angola; and H.E. João Matlombe, Minister of Transport and Logistics, Republic of Mozambique. The signing took place between remarks highlighting the Keystone Partnership delivered by H.E. Daniel Chapo, President of the Republic of Mozambique, and H.E. Esperança Maria Eduardo Francisco da Costa, Vice President of the Republic of Angola.
These MOUs formalize the commitment of the Rob Walton Foundation, the Republic of Angola, and the Republic of Mozambique to work together to identify opportunities for the collaborative management of keystone protected areas that are critical for socioeconomic resilience of surrounding communities. The MOUs exemplify how public-private partnerships can invigorate conservation even as national budgets come under increasing financial pressure. Collaborations between funders, governments, and NGOs, such as the Keystone Partnership, do not just finance protected areas; they also create jobs, tackle conflicts, and improve regional security by preventing the illicit resource extraction that funds bad actors.
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