International Botanical Congress Moving to Madrid in 2024

Abstract

The International Botanical Congress, which was to be held in Brazil in July, 2023 has been cancelled. The COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the serious economic impact and social disruption, have made planning and fundraising to support the IBC in Brazil impossible. With these facts in mind, the IABMS has concluded that the XX IBC in Brazil must be cancelled. We thank the Sociedade Botânica do Brasil for understanding this difficult decision. We know that the large botanical community in Brazil has been looking forward to welcoming the international botanical community to Brazil, so this is surely a disappointment to them and for us all. But we must keep in mind the needs of the global community and establish a plan that will allow the IBC to take place elsewhere with a minimum of delay. The Sociedad Botánica Española (SEBOT) and Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid (RJB, CSIC) have volunteered to take on organization of the upcoming IBC, with a one-year delay to July, 2024 to allow their team time to secure the venue in Madrid for the Congress, raise funds, and organize the planning team. The organizers are confident that they will be able to host an excellent Congress in 2024. We are grateful to the SEBOT and RJB for their willingness to help in this very difficult situation. Additional details on the plans for 2024 will follow soon. The Nomenclature Section of the IBC, which precedes the main Congress programme, will also be delayed until 2024. Published or submitted proposals to amend the Code at the Rio de Janeiro Congress of 2023 will be transferred to the Madrid Congress of 2024. No further action by the authors is required. Taxon will close for proposals on 31 March 2023, i.e., one year later than originally scheduled (see Turland & Wiersema in Taxon 68: 1372–1373. 2019). Late submissions received by 30 June 2023 may be accepted at the editors’ discretion if no reviewing or major editing is necessary. We anticipate a successful and productive IBC in Madrid in 2024, and welcome all to attend.