IUCN World Conservation Congress

25th World Conservation Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has begun in Hawaii. Since IUCN’s foundation in 1948, member countries have gathered 24 times in all corners of the world. The last Congress was held in Jeju, Korea in 2012. This is the first time the US is hosting the event.

Theme: The theme for this year’s IUCN Congress is ‘Planet at the crossroads’.

Details:

• The Congress aims to improve how we manage our natural environment for human, social and economic development.
• The main issues to be discussed at the Congress are wildlife trafficking, ocean conservation, nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and private investment in conservation.
• Over 9,000 delegates from 190 countries, including heads of state, high-level government officials, scientists, indigenous people and business leaders will share, debate and act on the latest issues in conservation and sustainable development and define a global path for nature conservation for the future.
• The IUCN Congress is expected to set the course for using nature based solutions to help move millions out of poverty, creating a more sustainable economy and restoring a healthier relationship with our planet.

IUCN- key facts:

• IUCN was founded in October 1948 as the International Union for the Protection of Nature (or IUPN) following an international conference in Fontainebleau, France.
• It was renamed as International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 1956 with the acronym IUCN.
• IUCN is the world’s first global environmental organization. Today it is the largest professional global conservation network
• The Union’s HQ is located in Gland, near Geneva, in Switzerland.
• It demonstrates how biodiversity is fundamental to addressing some of the world’s greatest challenges such as climate change, sustainable development and food security.
• The IUCN Red List is set upon precise criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies. These criteria are relevant to all species and all regions of the world. The aim is to convey the urgency of conservation issues to the public and policy makers, as well as help the international community to try to reduce species extinction.
• Species are classified by the IUCN Red List into nine groups, set through criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation.