{"id":9833,"date":"2025-11-20T09:14:29","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T14:14:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdgnews.com\/?p=9833"},"modified":"2025-11-21T10:24:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T15:24:04","slug":"pro-eco-azuero-foundation-receives-the-2025-unesco-japan-prize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sdgnews.com\/ru\/pro-eco-azuero-foundation-receives-the-2025-unesco-japan-prize\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro Eco Azuero Foundation Receives the 2025 UNESCO\u2013Japan Prize for Education for Sustainable Development"},"content":{"rendered":"

First Panamanian organization to receive this international recognition<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panama City \/ Paris, November 20, 2025.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pro Eco Azuero Foundation has been awarded the UNESCO\u2013Japan Prize for Education for Sustainable Development, becoming the first Panamanian organization to receive this prestigious international recognition granted to initiatives that transform realities through education and sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This historic distinction affirms Pro Eco Azuero\u2019s role as one of Panama\u2019s most influential conservation organizations. Founded in 2009, the foundation has become a national leader in community-based restoration, environmental education, and sustainable land management. Its long-term work across the Azuero Peninsula has positioned the organization as a trusted partner to rural communities, policymakers, and national institutions committed to protecting Panama\u2019s biodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The award was presented at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, where Rossie Pope, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Sandra V\u00e1squez, Executive Director of Pro Eco Azuero, were present on behalf of the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A national model for community-led conservation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The jury highlighted the impact of the foundation\u2019s flagship educational program, the Spider Monkey School Initiative, which for 15 years has worked in rural schools in Los Santos using education as a tool to restore ecosystems, protect the habitat of the Azuero spider monkey (an endemic and critically endangered species), and build a culture of conservation within historically cattle-ranching communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What began as a school-based program has expanded into one of Panama\u2019s most successful community-led conservation movements. Pro Eco Azuero has trained teachers, supported youth leadership, restored degraded landscapes, and engaged ranchers and landowners in sustainable practices that balance livelihoods with ecological stewardship. Its work is widely regarded as a model for how conservation can be rooted in local values, scientific knowledge, and long-term trust-building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her remarks in Paris, Sandra V\u00e1squez stated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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