World Conservation Union

The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation.

Founded in 1948, its headquarters is located in Gland, Switzerland. The IUCN brings together 81 states, 120 government agencies, 800-plus NGOs and 10,000 experts and scientists from 181 countries.

Mission

IUCN's mission is to 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.

The Union has three pillars: its member organizations, its 6 scientific commissions and its professional secretariat.

IUCN 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.

The IUCN 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:

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. Members: 7000. Current Chair: Holly Dublin.
World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)WCPA promotes the establishment and effective management of a worldwide representative network of terrestrial and marine protected areas. Its mission is "to promote the establishment and effective management of a world-wide representative network of terrestrial and marine protected areas, as an integral contribution to the IUCN mission." Members: 1300. Current Chair: [http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/newsbulletins/indexnews/previousnews2004.html#november Nikita Lopoukhine.
Commission on Environmental Law (CEL)^*: CEL advances environmental law by developing new legal concepts and instruments, and by building the capacity of societies to employ environmental law for conservation and sustainable development. Members: 800. Current Chair: Sheila Abed.
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. Members: 600. Current Chair: Keith Wheeler.
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. Members: 500. Current Chair: Taghi Farvar.
Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM)^*: CEM provides expert guidance on integrated ecosystem approaches to the management of natural and modified ecosystems. Members: 400. Current Chair: Hillary Masundire.

The IUCN Secretariat

The members and commissions work together with a professional secretariat: over 1,000 people in 40 different countries. Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw is the current Acting Director General, following the appointment of Director General Achim Steiner as Executive Director of UNEP.

Key products and contributions

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Protected Area Management Categories

The World Commission on Protected Areas defines categories for Protected Area Management:

Ia - Strict Nature Reserve

An area of land or sea possessing some outstanding or representative ecosystems, geological or physiological features and/or species, available primarily for scientific research or environmental monitoring.

Ib - Wilderness Area

A large area of unmodified or slightly modified land, and/or sea, retaining its natural character and influence, without permanent or significant habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural condition.

II - National Park

A natural area of land and/or sea, designated to:

protect the ecological integrity of one or more ecosystems for present and future generations;
exclude exploitation or occupation inimical to the purposes of designation of the area;
provide a foundation for spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational, and visitor opportunities, all of which must be environmentally and culturally compatible.

III - Natural Monument

An area containing one, or more, specific natural or natural/cultural feature which is of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative or aesthetic qualities or cultural significance.

IV - Habitat/Species Management Area

An area of land or sea subject to active intervention for management purposes so as to ensure the maintenance of habitats and/or to meet the requirements of specific species.

V - Protected Landscape/Seascape

An area of land, with coast and sea as appropriate, where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character with significant aesthetic, ecological, or cultural value, and often with high biological diversity. Safeguarding the integrity of this traditional interaction is vital to the protection, maintenance, and evolution of such an area.

VI - Managed Resource Protected Area

An area containing predominantly unmodified natural systems, managed to ensure long term protection and maintenance of biological diversity, while providing at the same time a sustainable flow of natural products and services to meet community needs.

External link

IUCN web page

International environmental organizations

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