International Union for Conservation of Nature

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Type	International organization
Founded	October 1948, Fontainebleau, France
Headquarters	Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland, Switzerland
Key people	Julia Marton-Lefèvre (Director General) Zhang Xinsheng (President)
Area served	Worldwide
Focus(es)	Nature conservation, biodiversity, Nature-based solutions
Mission	Influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable
Employees	Over 1,000 (worldwide)
Website	www.iucn.org

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature [UICN], in French) is an international organization dedicated to finding "pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges".^[1] The organization publishes the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which assesses the conservation status of species.^[2]

IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects globally and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy. IUCN is the world's oldest and largest global environmental network—a democratic membership union with more than 1,000 government and NGO member organizations, and almost 11,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries. IUCN's work is supported by more than 1,000 professional staff in 60 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. The Union's headquarters are located in Gland, Switzerland, near Geneva.^[1]

IUCN's stated vision is "a just world that values and conserves nature". Its mission is to "influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable".^[3]

History

The logo adopted in May 1992

IUCN began when the first Director General of UNESCO, Sir Julian Huxley, sponsored a congress to establish a new environmental institution to help serve this purpose.^[4]

At that first congress (held at Fontainebleau, France), on 5 October 1948, 18 governments, 7 international organizations, and 107 national nature conservation organizations all agreed to form the institution and signed a "constitutive act" creating an International Union for the Protection of Nature.^[4]

From this beginning, the overriding strategy and policy of the institution has been to explore and promote mutually beneficial conservation arrangements that suit those promoting development as well as assisting people and nations to better preserve their flora and fauna.^[4] When approached in 1978 by primatologist Richard Wrangham to contribute funds to the new Digit Fund to prevent further poaching of mountain gorillas near Dian Fossey's Karisoke Research Station in Rwanda, the International Union for Conservation of Nature declined to provide funds to the cause. Instead, IUCN supported opening the Virunga Volcanoes to tourism as a way to encourage the Rwandan government to preserve the gorillas.^[5]

At all times, the institution (in all its forms) has heavily emphasized as a key operating principle the strong need to cater to and address the needs of local nations, communities and peoples, so that those nations, communities and peoples can take ownership of future, long term conservation goals and objectives in their local areas:^[4]

IUCN's World Conservation Strategy (1980)^[6] was founded upon this kind of principle, and clearly announced the IUCN's ambitions to more effectively enter into dialogue with the promoters of human development. The strategy was internationally applauded by many and served to secure IUCN funds from several donors who did not themselves feel they could open up effective dialogue in the world's developing countries, nor that United Nations organizations and international banks would effectively engage in such dialogue.^[4]

With the pre-eminence of the concept of sustainable development, IUCN has expanded into many of the nations around the world, making available the services of a large pool of mainly voluntary specialists, providing local level advice and conservation services, and expanding its networks of Committees and regional advisory bodies into increasing numbers of countries.^[4]

Timeline

Some key dates in the growth and development of this organization include:^[4]

• 1956: Name very soon changed from International Union for the Preservation of Nature (IUPN) to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
• 1956: IUCN creates the IYF= "International Youth Federation for the Study and Conservation of Nature", which creates in 1983 YEE=Youth Environment Europe^[7]
• 1959: UNESCO decides to create an international list of Nature Parks and equivalent reserves, and the United Nations Secretary General asks the IUCN to prepare this list
• 1961: After more than a decade of funding difficulties, eminent science and business personalities (including Sir Julian Huxley) decide to set up a complementary fund (the World Wildlife Fund) to focus on fund raising, public relations, and increasing public support for nature conservation
• 1969: IUCN obtains a grant from the Ford Foundation which enables it to boost, substantially, its international secretariat.
• 1972: UNESCO adopts the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage and the IUCN is invited to provide technical evaluations and monitoring
• 1974: IUCN is involved in obtaining the agreement of its members to sign a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), whose secretariat was originally lodged with the IUCN
• 1975: The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) comes into force, and its secretariat is administered from the IUCN's headquarters
• 1980: IUCN (together with the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Wide Fund for Nature) collaborate with UNESCO to publish a World Conservation Strategy
• 1982: Following IUCN preparation and efforts, the United Nations General Assembly adopts the World Charter for Nature
• 1990: Began using the name World Conservation Union as the official name, while continuing using IUCN as its abbreviation. This name change proved to be short-lived.
• 1993: IUCN (together with United Nations Environment Programme and the World Wide Fund for Nature) publishes Caring for the Earth
• 2001: Establishment of the IUCN Business and Biodiversity Programme
• 2008: Stopped using World Conservation Union as its official name and reverted its name back to International Union for Conservation of Nature
• 2008: More than 6,600 leaders from government, the public sector, non-governmental organizations, business, UN agencies and social organizations attended IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Presidents

Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in Europe, is preserved as part of a National Park in Iceland.

• 1948–1954: Charles Jean Bernard, Switzerland^[8]
• 1954–1958: Roger Heim, France^[8]
• 1958–1963: Jean Georges Baer, Switzerland^[8]
• 1963–1966: François Bourlière, France^[8]
• 1966–1972: Harold J. Coolidge, USA^[8]
• 1972–1978: Donald Kuenen, Netherlands^[8]
• 1978–1984: Mohamed Kassas, Egypt^[8]
• 1984–1990: Monkombu Swaminathan, India^[8]
• 1990–1994: Sridath Ramphal, Guyana^[8]
• 1994–1996: Jay D. Hair, USA
• 1996–2004: Yolanda Kakabadse, Ecuador^[8]
• 2004–2008: Valli Moosa, South Africa^[8]
• 2008–2012: Ashok Khosla, India^[9]
• 2012–: Zhang Xinsheng, China^[8]

Directors General

• 1948–1955: Jean Paul Harroy^[8]
• 1959–1960: M.C. Bloemers^[8]
• 1962: Gerald Watterson^[8]
• 1963–1966: Hugh Elliott^[8]
• 1966–1970: Joe Berwick^[8]
• 1970–1976: Gerardo Budowski^[8]
• 1977–1980: David Munro^[8]
• 1980–1982: Lee M. Talbot^[8]
• 1983–1988: Kenton Miller^[8]
• 1988–1994: Martin Holdgate^[8]
• 1994–1999: David McDowell^[8]
• 1999–2001: Marita Koch-Weser^[8]
• 2001–2006: Achim Steiner^[8]
• 2007–: Julia Marton-Lefèvre^[8]

Organizational structure

The Union has three components: its member organizations, its six scientific commissions, and its professional secretariat.^[1]

Members

The Union unites both States and non-governmental organizations. They set the policies of the Union, define its global programme of work and elect its Council (comparable to a company board) at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. Member organizations organize themselves into National and Regional Committees.^[1]

Commissions

There are six commissions that "assess the state of the world's natural resources and provide the Union with sound know-how and policy advice on conservation issues":^[10]

• Commission on Education and Communication (CEC)

CEC champions the strategic use of communication and education to empower and educate stakeholders for the sustainable use of natural resources.^[10][11]

• Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy (CEESP)

CEESP provides expertise and policy advice on economic and social factors for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.^[10][11]

• World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL)

WCEL advances environmental law by developing new legal concepts and instruments, as well as by building the capacity of societies to employ environmental law for conservation and sustainable development.^[10][11]

• Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM)

CEM provides expert guidance on integrated ecosystem approaches to the management of natural and modified ecosystems.^[10][11]

• Species Survival Commission (SSC)

SSC advises the Union on the technical aspects of species conservation and mobilizes action for those species that are threatened with extinction. It produces the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™.^[10][11]

• IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)

WCPA's mission is to promote the establishment and effective management of a world-wide representative network of terrestrial and marine protected areas.^[10][11]

IUCN is also the governing body responsible for the development of the Management Categories into which each Protected Area is divided depending on its conservation requirements and management aims.

Secretariat

The members and commissions work together with a professional secretariat consisting of over 1,000 people in more than 60 different countries. Julia Marton-Lefèvre, a global expert and leader in development and conservation, has been its Director General since 2 January 2007.

She succeeded Achim Steiner, who was appointed Executive Director of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in June 2006. Poul Engberg-Pedersen serves as Deputy Director General and Managing Director.^[12]

Publications

IUCN has one of the world's most comprehensive ranges of authoritative publications, reports, guidelines and databases for conservation and sustainable development,^[13] publishes or co-authors more than 150 books and major assessments every year, along with hundreds of other reports, documents and guidelines.^[14]

See also

• Beaver eradication in Tierra del Fuego

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to IUCN—International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

• Official IUCN—International Union for Conservation of Nature website
• Review of the 2008 Red List of Threatened Species
• IUCN publications
• Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment
• IUCN Rights-Based Approach to Conservation portal

v t e Threatened species IUCN categories IUCN Extinct in the Wild Threatened species Critically Endangered Endangered species Vulnerable species Near Threatened Least Concern Data Deficient Conservation Dependent IUCN Red List IUCN species lists Extinct in the wild lists Critically endangered lists Endangered lists Vulnerable lists Near threatened lists Data deficient lists Critically endangered categories Endangered categories Vulnerable categories Near threatened categories Data deficient categories Conservation Biodiversity action plan Biodiversity threats Conservation biology CITES ARKive Bird conservation Conservation status Conservation reliant species Ecoregion conservation status Habitat destruction Latent extinction risk Rare species Vulnerability and susceptibility Other taxa Endangered arthropods Endangered spiders Threatened Banksia Threatened birds Threatened rays Threatened sharks Threatened sturgeons The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates The world's 100 most threatened species

v t e Threatened species by region By region Blue-listed Environmental Vulnerability Index Regional Red List Australasia Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ROTAP Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 Threatened ecological community Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989 Canada Species at Risk Act Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada European European Endangered Species Programme Funds for Endangered Parrots South Africa Endangered Wildlife Trust United States Distinct population segment Endangered Species Act Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1978 Endangered species recovery plan Endangered Wolf Center National Wildlife Refuge NatureServe conservation status The Nature Conservancy Lists Asia List of endangered and protected species of China Endangered mammals of India List of endangered animals in India List of mammals of Morocco List of endangered species in Pakistan List of endangered species in Vietnam Europe Threatened mammals of Europe Endangered plants of Europe List of endangered species of the British Isles List of extinct and endangered species of Italy List of extinct and endangered species of Lithuania North America List of mammals of Canada List of endangered plants in North America List of endangered species in North America Endangered mammals and birds of the US List of threatened mammals of the United States List of threatened birds of the United States List of threatened reptiles and amphibians of the United States Elsewhere Threatened fauna of Australia List of threatened flora of Australia Official list of endangered flora of Brazil List of threatened species of the Philippines

v t e Extinction Phenomena Background extinction rate Coextinction Ecological extinction Extinction debt Genetic pollution Lazarus taxon Local extinction Pseudoextinction Models Extinction vortex Causes Genetic erosion Habitat destruction Muller's ratchet Mutational meltdown Overexploitation Theories and concepts De-extinction Hypothetical species Extinction risk from global warming Extinction events Timeline of extinctions Cretaceous–Paleogene Triassic–Jurassic Permian–Triassic Late Devonian Ordovician–Silurian Holocene Quaternary Extinct species Lists of extinct species List of extinct plants IUCN Red List extinct species Organizations International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN Species Survival Commission Category     Commons    WikiProject     Portal