On February 26, in La Paz, Baja California Sur, the ICCF Group reached a significant institutional milestone with the launch of the first Subnational Conservation and Oceans Caucus established within a state congress at the international level. This landmark achievement strengthens ICCF’s global caucus network and positions the organization at the forefront of advancing environmental governance beyond the federal level.
As conservation-driven governance increasingly decentralizes worldwide, subnational legislatures are playing a growing role in shaping conservation outcomes.
By formally engaging state-level lawmakers, the ICCF Group is expanding its proven caucus model to a critical governance scale—one that is essential for the effective protection and sustainable management of natural resources.
Hon. Deputy Marcela Guerra Castillo
The Baja California Sur caucus is led by State Congressman Erick Iván Agúndez Cervantes as Founding Chair, alongside eight members of the State Congress representing all municipalities of the state. The launch was honored by the presence of Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío, reflecting strong political commitment at the highest level of state government.
The event also brought together the Co-Chairs of Mexico’s Federal Conservation and Oceans Caucus—Hon. Senator Ivideliza Reyes, Hon. Deputy Marcela Guerra Castillo, and Hon. Deputy Azucena Arreola—highlighting the growing alignment between federal and subnational conservation leadership. Participation by Hon. Óscar Rébora, President of the National Association of State Environmental Authorities (ANAAE), further reinforced the institutional significance of the milestone, given ANAAE’s role in convening environmental authorities from all 32 Mexican states.
State Congressman Erick Iván Agúndez Cervantes
The ICCF Group’s global leadership was represented by board member Monica Medina, Former US Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, whose participation underscored the strategic importance of scaling the caucus model to the subnational level.
Looking ahead, ICCF Mexico believes the Baja California Sur model can serve as a blueprint for replication in additional states across Mexico—and potentially in other countries— further strengthening the organization’s leadership in building bipartisan, science-based conservation platforms across all levels of governance.
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