Four years after the last strategic planning session, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) gathered its council in order to set in motion the development of a new strategy for the years to come. The last Strategic Session took place in 2018, and a lot has changed since. The Covid-19 pandemic, changes in legislation and the war in Ukraine are redefining the global context and, therefore, future actions and goals must be adapted.

The council met for two days, 3rd and 4th of April, at WAZA member institution ZooParc de Beauval, in France. The meeting allowed the council to identify WAZA’s stakeholders and to highlight the ultimate aim of the association: biodiversity conservation and saving species. As representative of the world’s progressive zoos and aquariums, the association intends to reassure its key values during the upcoming months.