International Mangrove Center officially begins operations in Shenzhen

The International Mangrove Center (IMC), the world’s first intergovernmental organization dedicated to mangrove conservation and cooperation, was inaugurated on Sunday in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, marking its transition from a global initiative to a fully operational entity.

The inauguration took place on the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. China first proposed the International Mangrove Center at the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 2022. It brings together eight member states and 13 signatory countries, spanning some of the world's most important mangrove ecosystems across Asia, Africa and the Americas.