68 years of impact

Throughout its history, IUCN has brought the expertise and influence of its membership to bear on pressing issues, often ahead of their time and with results that steer the course of humanity’s relationship with our planet.

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Recent updates

Indigenous senior citizen of the mountains in Southeast Asia
08 Aug 2016
In the 1970s, IUCN senior ecologist Ray Dasmann spotlighted what he called ‘ecosystem people’ – those who depend on functioning ecosystems for survival. Indigenous peoples have been high on IUCN's agenda ever since.
A woman in Himba county, Liberia
04 Aug 2016
A suite of IUCN principles, guidelines and tools has fostered national-level recognition of Indigenous and Traditional peoples’ rights concerning protected areas.
Arabian Oryx
06 Jul 2016
At its inaugural meeting in 1948, IUCN declared the rescue of endangered species to be a key objective and began to set up instruments to monitor the status of animals and plants worldwide.
Etna volcano covered in snow
27 Jun 2016
“Our concern is for all life and not just those species that attract our eye through their size or their peculiar scientific interest,” said IUCN’s Senior Ecologist Raymond Dasmann at the Second World Congress on National Parks in 1972.
Meo women in Asia
23 Jun 2016
Gender commitments at IUCN Congress 2016 build on proactive efforts towards gender equality since the 1980's. These have led to groundbreaking knowledge products and policy impacts at global level and at the national level in dozens of countries.
Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada
10 Jun 2016
In the 1970s, no one expected that the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity would include issues like biotechnology, intellectual property rights and technology transfer.
IUCN: Calling for climate action since 1960
26 Apr 2016
In 2015, 195 countries adopted the landmark Paris Agreement with the aim of enhancing global action to address climate change. IUCN was among the first international organizations to flag the impacts of humans and modern technological development on nature, and call for research, practical action, and international-level coordination to address environmental and climate issues.  
Montrichardia arborescens on the Atrato River
15 Apr 2016
The 1972 World Heritage Convention and Protected areas legislation are important mechanisms for achieving biodiversity conservation and protecting human livelihoods. IUCN has been integral to the historical development of the ideas behind these mechanisms and for setting new standards for on-the-ground implementation today.
The Water and Nature Initiative
22 Mar 2016
Working with governments, local communities and other stakeholders, IUCN’s Water and Nature Initiative (WANI) has contributed to reducing poverty, improving livelihoods and healthy ecosystems by helping people access and manage river flows in over 30 countries.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
01 Mar 2016
More than 50 years ago, IUCN Members began the call for international regulations on the trade of rare or threatened flora and fauna. The resulting CITES convention has helped protect thousands of species.
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