World Conservation Union (IUCN)

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Introduction

The World Conservation Union supports and develops cutting-edge conservation science; implements this research in field projects around the world; and then links both research and results to local, national, regional and global policy by convening dialogues between governments, civil society and the private sector. The Union’s databases, assessments, guidelines and case studies, prepared by its global membership, Commissions and Secretariat, are among the world’s most respected and frequently cited sources of information and reference on the environment. As the world’s largest environmental knowledge network, the Union has helped over 75 countries to prepare and implement national conservation and biodiversity strategies. (World Conservation Union (IUCN))

Contribution to Knowledge

The Union contributes knowledge by monitoring the state of the world’s species through the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, contributing to and supporting the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, and convening multi stakeholder events such as the World Parks Congress in 2003.

Contribution to Policy Making

They contribute to policy making the world over by giving policy advice and technical support to governments, UN organizations, international conventions and other groupings such as the G8 and G77, assessing all new sites nominated for natural World Heritage Site listing, contributing technical assistance to prepare national biodiversity strategies and action plans and providing technical support for drafting environmental laws and natural resource management strategies.

Active Contributions

The Union also is changing our world by taking active steps like working with the Water and Nature Initiative, working with 80 partners in a five-year global action plan in 10 water basins, working with the Forest for Life Strategy, promoting wise management through guidelines for fire prevention and community management of forest resources, working with the corporate sector on energy and biodiversity, and mining and protected areas and facilitating Parks for Peace between countries in areas of conflict.

Further Reading

IUCN

Citation

Nature, T. (2014). World Conservation Union (IUCN). Retrieved from http://editors.eol.org/eoearth/wiki/World_Conservation_Union_(IUCN)