Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (20 August 2024) — Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), recently led the opening remarks at the IUCN USA Regional Conservation Forum in Washington, DC. The event, hosted at Conservation International in Arlington, brought together US-based IUCN members and partners to discuss the future of conservation and prepare for the upcoming 2025 World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi.
Ms. Al Mubarak highlighted the importance of addressing complex environmental challenges, such as biodiversity loss, climate change, and desertification, through a holistic approach. She emphasized the role of IUCN members in this global effort and introduced for comment and feedback the draft 20-year IUCN Strategic Vision aimed at strengthening IUCN’s future impact.
The forum's agenda included refining the 2026-2029 IUCN Programme of Work and gathering input for the IUCN 20-year Vision. With the US representing the largest constituency of IUCN members, the discussions held at the forum are an important step in shaping IUCN's strategic directions and operational focus.
Preparations for the World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi are ongoing and Ms. Al Mubarak urged all stakeholders to engage actively in finalizing the strategic documents that will guide IUCN’s efforts in the coming decades. This collaboration underscores the need for innovative and inclusive strategies to address the pressing environmental challenges of our time.