Spain , Catalonia and Barcelona are known around the world for promoting sustainable development and active participation in international environment and development dialogue.

Barcelona has welcomed the world on countless occasions, including the 1992 Olympic Games, universal expositions in 1888 and 1929, and the 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures.

The 2008 IUCN World Conservation Congress is being hosted by the Government of Spain, led by the Ministry for Environment, and the Government of Catalonia, led by the Ministry for Environment and Housing. The provincial and city governments of Barcelona arev also playing a key role in hosting the Congress.

The Congress will be held at the stunning Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB), a recently built state-of-the-art congress centre located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, next to metro and tram stations and only a few kilometers from the centre of Barcelona.