View source for International Union for Conservation of Nature

{{short description|International organization}}
{{Better sources needed|date=September 2025}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=August 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = International Union for Conservation of Nature
| logo = IUCN logo.svg
| caption =
| founder =
| type = [[International organization]]
| tax_id =
| registration_id =
| founded_date = {{start date and age|1948|10|05|df=y}}<br />[[Fontainebleau]], France
| headquarters = [[Gland, Switzerland|Gland]], Switzerland
| key_people = {{ubl|[[Grethel Aguilar]] (Director General)|[[Razan Al Mubarak]] (President)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2021/09/razan-al-mubarak-becomes-first-woman-from-the-arab-world-to-head-iucn/|title = Razan al Mubarak becomes first woman from the Arab world to head IUCN|date = 8 September 2021}}</ref>}}
| area_served = Worldwide
| focus = [[Conservation movement|Nature conservation]], [[biodiversity]]
| revenue = CHF 140.7 million / US$148 million (2019)<ref>[https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/iucn_-_ordinary_audit_report_31.12.2019_with_2_signatures.pdf "IUCN 2019 Accounts"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211001849/https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/iucn_-_ordinary_audit_report_31.12.2019_with_2_signatures.pdf |date=11 December 2021 }}. ''IUCN''. Retrieved 23 July 2022.</ref>
| endowment =
| num_employees = Over 900 (worldwide)
| num_members = 1,400
| subsid =
| former name = International Union for the Protection of Nature
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.iucn.org/}}
| dissolved =
| footnotes =
}}
The '''International Union for Conservation of Nature''' ('''IUCN''') is an [[international organization]] working in the field of [[nature conservation]] and [[sustainable use]] of [[natural resource]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=About|publisher=IUCN|quote=The organisation changed its name to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in 1956 with the acronym IUCN (or UICN in French and Spanish). This remains our full legal name to this day.|url=https://www.iucn.org/about|date=2014-12-03}}</ref> Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. It is involved in [[data gathering]] and [[Data analysis|analysis]], research, field projects, advocacy, and education. IUCN's 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".

Over the past decades, IUCN has widened its focus beyond conservation ecology and now incorporates issues related to [[sustainable development]] in its projects. IUCN does not itself aim to mobilize the public in support of nature conservation. It tries to influence the actions of governments, business and other stakeholders by providing information and advice and through building partnerships. The organization is best known to the wider public for compiling and publishing the [[IUCN Red List|IUCN Red List of Threatened Species]], which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide.<ref name=About />

IUCN has a membership of over 1,400 governmental and non-governmental organizations from over 170 countries. Some 16,000 scientists and experts participate in the work of IUCN commissions on a voluntary basis. It employs over 900 full-time staff in more than 50 countries. Its headquarters are in [[Gland, Switzerland|Gland]], Switzerland.<ref name=About >{{cite web|url=http://www.iucn.org/about|title=About IUCN|publisher=IUCN|access-date=17 November 2014}}</ref> Every four years, IUCN convenes for the IUCN World Conservation Congress where IUCN Members set the global conservation agenda by voting on recommendations and guide the secretariat's work by passing resolutions and the IUCN Programme.

IUCN has [[Observer status#United Nations|observer]] and [[consultative status]] at the [[United Nations]], and plays a role in the implementation of several international conventions on nature conservation and [[biodiversity]]. It was involved in establishing the [[World Wide Fund for Nature]] and the [[World Conservation Monitoring Centre]]. In the past, IUCN has been criticized for placing the interests of nature over those of indigenous peoples. In recent years, its closer relations with the business sector have caused controversy.<ref name="wrm.org.uy">{{cite web|title=Kenya: The Maasai Stand up to IUCN Displacement Attempts from their Forest|url=http://www.wrm.org.uy/oldsite/bulletin/84/Kenya.html|website=World Rainforest Movement|access-date=2 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927003333/http://www.wrm.org.uy/oldsite/bulletin/84/Kenya.html|archive-date=27 September 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Block|first=Ben|title=Environmentalists Spar Over Corporate Ties|type=updated version|url=http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5934|website=[[Worldwatch Institute]]. worldwatch.org|access-date=26 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916164052/http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5934|archive-date=16 September 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

IUCN was established in 1948. It was initially called the '''International Union for the Protection of Nature''' (1948–1956) and has also been formerly known as the '''World Conservation Union''' (1990–2008).

==History==
{{NoteTag|The information in the section on history is largely based on ''Holdgate, M. 1999. The green web: a union for world conservation. Earthscan.'' For each paragraph in the section one reference to the pages used is included following the header. Where information in the paragraph is based on other sources a separate reference is included in the text.}}

===Establishment===
<ref name="holdgate">{{cite book |last=Holdgate|first=Martin |title=The green web: a union for world conservation|year=1999|publisher=Earthscan |isbn = 1-85383-595-1 }}</ref>{{rp|16–38}}

IUCN was established on 5 October 1948, in [[Fontainebleau]], France, when representatives of governments and conservation organizations spurred on by [[UNESCO]] signed a formal act constituting the International Union for the Protection of Nature (IUPN). The initiative to set up the new organization came from UNESCO and especially from its first director general, the British biologist [[Julian Huxley]].

[[File:Julian Huxley 1964.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Julian Huxley]], the first Director General of UNESCO, took the initiative to set up IUCN.]]

At the time of its founding IUCN was the only international organization focusing on the entire spectrum of nature conservation (an international organization for the protection of birds, now [[BirdLife International]], had been established in 1922).

===Early years: 1948–1956===
<ref name="holdgate" />{{rp|47–63}}

IUCN (International Union for conservation of Nature) started out with 65 members in [[Brussels]] and was closely associated to UNESCO. They jointly organized the 1949 Conference on Protection of Nature in [[Lake Success, New York]] and drafted the first list of gravely endangered species. In the early years of its existence IUCN depended almost entirely on UNESCO funding and was forced to temporarily scale down activities when this ended unexpectedly in 1954. IUCN was successful in engaging prominent scientists and identifying important issues such as the harmful effects of [[pesticide]]s on wildlife but not many of the ideas it developed were turned into action. This was caused by unwillingness to act on the part of governments, uncertainty about the IUCN mandate and lack of resources. In 1956, IUCN changed its name to International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

===Increased profile and recognition: 1956–1965===
<ref name="holdgate" />{{rp|67–82}}

During this period, the IUCN expanded its relations with UN-agencies and established links with the [[Council of Europe]]. IUCN's best known publication, the [[IUCN Red List|Red Data Book]] on the conservation status of species, was first published in 1964.

IUCN began to play a part in the development of international treaties and conventions, starting with the [[African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources]]. [[File:Ngorongoro-Crater-Morning-Scene.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|Africa was the first regional focus of IUCN conservation action.]]
Africa was the focus of many of the early IUCN conservation field projects. IUCN supported the 'Yellowstone model' of protected area management, which severely restricted human presence and activity in order to protect nature.<ref name="wrm.org.uy"/>

The IUCN also suffered from restricted financing in its early years. For this reason, [[Tracy Philipps]], secretary-general from 1955 to 1958, did not draw a salary during his period in office.<ref name="holdgate" />{{rp|62}}

To establish a stable financial basis for its work, IUCN participated in setting up the World Wildlife Fund (1961) (now the [[World Wide Fund for Nature]] WWF) to work on fundraising to cover part of the operational costs of IUCN. Also in 1961, the IUCN headquarters moved from Belgium to [[Morges]] in Switzerland.

===Consolidating its position in the international environmental movement: 1966–1975===
<ref name="holdgate" />{{rp|110–124}}

During the 1960s, IUCN lobbied the UN General Assembly to create a new status for [[NGOs]]. Resolution 1296, adopted in 1968, granted 'consultative' status to NGOs. IUCN itself was eventually accredited with six UN organizations.<ref name="Understanding NGOs">{{cite web|title=Understanding NGOs|url=https://agendatwentyone.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/understanding-ngos-non-government-organizations/ |website= agendatwentyone.wordpress.com |access-date=5 December 2014|date= 2010-06-28 }}</ref> IUCN was one of the few environmental organizations formally involved in the preparations of the [[United Nations Conference on the Human Environment]] (Stockholm, 1972). The Stockholm Conference eventually led to three new international conventions, with IUCN involved in their drafting and implementation:
* [[World Heritage Site|Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage]] (1972). IUCN co-drafted the World Heritage Convention with UNESCO and has been involved as the official Advisory Body on nature from the onset.<sup>[8]</sup>
* [[CITES]] – the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1974). IUCN is a signatory party and the CITES secretariat was originally lodged with IUCN.
* [[Ramsar Convention]] – Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (1975). The secretariat is still administered from IUCN's headquarters.

IUCN entered into an agreement with the United Nations Environment Programme [[UNEP]] to provide regular reviews of world conservation. The income this generated, combined with growing revenue via WWF, put the organization on relatively sound financial footing for the first time since 1948.

This period saw the beginning of a gradual change in IUCN's approach to conservation in which it tried to become more appealing to the developing world.

===The World Conservation Strategy 1975–1985===
<ref name="holdgate" />{{rp|132–165}}

In 1975 IUCN started work on the ''World Conservation Strategy'' (1980).<ref name="IUCN">{{cite book |last1=International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources |title=World Conservation Strategy: Living Resource Conservation for Sustainable Development |date=1980 |publisher=IUCN–UNEP–WWF |url=https://portals.iucn.org/library/efiles/documents/wcs-004.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501232718/https://portals.iucn.org/library/efiles/documents/WCS-004.pdf |archive-date=2015-05-01 |url-status=live}}</ref> The drafting process, and the discussions with the UN agencies involved, led to an evolution in thinking within IUCN and growing acceptance of the fact that conservation of nature by banning human presence no longer worked. The Strategy was followed in 1982 by the ''[[World Charter for Nature]]'', which was adopted by the [[United Nations General Assembly]], after preparation by IUCN.

In 1980, IUCN and WWF moved into shared new offices in [[Gland, Switzerland]]. This marked a phase of closer cooperation with WWF, but the close ties between IUCN and WWF were severed in 1985 when WWF decided to take control of its own field projects, which so far had been run by IUCN.

'''Sustainable development and regionalization: 1985 to present day'''<ref name="holdgate" />{{rp|176–222}}<br />
In 1982, IUCN set up a Conservation for Development Centre within its secretariat. The Centre undertook projects to ensure that nature conservation was integrated in development aid and in the economic policies of developing countries. Over the years, it supported the development of national conservation strategies in 30 countries. Several European countries began to channel considerable amounts of bilateral aid via IUCN's projects. Management of these projects was primarily done by IUCN staff, often working from the new regional and country offices IUCN set up around the world. This marked a shift within the organization. Previously, the volunteer Commissions had been very influential, now the secretariat and its staff began to play a more dominant role. In 1989, IUCN moved into a separate building in Gland, close to the offices it had shared with WWF. Initially, the focus of power was still with the Headquarters in Gland but the regional offices and regional members' groups gradually got a bigger say in operations.

In 1991, IUCN (together with UNEP and WWF) published ''Caring for the Earth'', a successor to the World Conservation Strategy.<ref name="Understanding NGOs"/>

Social aspects of conservation were now integrated in IUCN's work; at the General Assembly in 1994 the IUCN mission was redrafted to its current wording to include the equitable and ecologically use of natural resources.

'''Closer to business: 2000 to present day'''<br />
Since the creation of IUCN in 1948, IUCN Members have passed more than 300 resolutions that include or focus on business related activities.

The increased attention on sustainable development as a means to protect nature brought IUCN closer to the corporate sector. The members decided against this, but IUCN did forge a partnership with the [[World Business Council for Sustainable Development]]. IUCN renewed a multi-year MOU ([[Memorandum of understanding]]) with WBCSD in December 2015.

In 1996, after decades of seeking to address specific business issues, IUCN's Members asked for a comprehensive approach to engaging the business sector. Resolution 1.81 of the IUCN World Conservation Congress held that year "urged IUCN Members and the Director General, based on the need to influence private sector policies in support of the Mission of IUCN, to expand dialogue and productive relationships with the private sector and find new ways to interact with members of the business community".

The IUCN Global Business and Biodiversity Program (BBP) was established in 2003 to influence and support private partners in addressing environmental and social issues.<ref>{{cite web|title=Global Business and Biodiversity Programme|url=http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/business/|website=IUCN|access-date=28 November 2014}}</ref> In 2004, the first IUCN Private Sector Engagement Strategy was developed (in response to Council Decision C/58/41). Most prominent in the Business and Biodiversity Program is the five-year collaboration IUCN started with the energy company [[Shell International]] in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=IUCN and Shell: Guiding the way|url=http://www.business-biodiversity.eu/default.asp?Menue=155&News=434|website=Business & Biodiversity|access-date=5 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923195343/http://www.business-biodiversity.eu/default.asp?Menue=155&News=434|archive-date=23 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="worldwatch.org">{{cite web|title=Environmentalists spar over corporate ties|url=http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5934|website=Worldwatch|access-date=5 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129141832/http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5934|archive-date=29 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

IUCN has been involved in minimum energy consumption and zero-carbon construction since 2005 by integrating energy-saving materials, developed by [[Jean-Luc Sandoz]] in the footsteps of [[Julius Natterer]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lesechos.fr/2005/11/le-projet-puritain-de-lunion-pour-la-nature-623616|title = Le projet puritain de l'Union pour la nature|date = 29 November 2005}}</ref>

Today, the Business and Biodiversity Programme continues to set the strategic direction, coordinate IUCN's overall approach and provide institutional quality assurance in all business engagements. The Programme ensures that the Business Engagement Strategy is implemented through IUCN's global thematic and regional programmes as well as helps guide the work of IUCN's six Commissions.

===Championing Nature-based Solutions: 2009 to present day===
[[Nature-based solutions]] (NbS) use ecosystems and the services they provide to address societal challenges such as climate change, food security or natural disasters.<ref name="portals.iucn.org">{{Cite book|url=https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/46191|title=Nature-based solutions to address global societal challenges |via = IUCN Library System|year=2016 | publisher=portals.iucn.org|doi=10.2305/IUCN.CH.2016.13.en |isbn=9782831718125|editor1-last=Cohen-Shacham |editor1-first=E |editor2-first=G |editor2-last=Walters |editor3-first=C |editor3-last=Janzen |editor4-first=S |editor4-last=Maginnis }}</ref>

The emergence of the NbS concept in environmental sciences and nature conservation contexts came as international organizations, such as IUCN and the World Bank, searched for solutions to work with ecosystems rather than relying on conventional engineering interventions (such as a [[seawall]]), to adapt to and mitigate climate change effects, while improving sustainable livelihoods and protecting natural ecosystems and biodiversity.

At the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016, IUCN Members agreed on a definition of nature-based solutions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://portals.iucn.org/congress/motion/077|title=077 – Defining Nature-based Solutions {{!}} 2016 Congress portal|website=portals.iucn.org|language=en|access-date=2017-07-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808140530/https://portals.iucn.org/congress/motion/077|archive-date=8 August 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> Members also called for governments to include nature-based solutions in strategies to [[climate change mitigation|combat climate change]].

===Timeline===
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2022}}
Some key dates in the growth and development of IUCN:
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
* 1948: International Union for the Protection of Nature (IUPN) established.<ref>{{cite web | title=International Union for Conservation of Nature | website=Encyclopædia Britannica | date=16 September 2016 | url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/International-Union-for-Conservation-of-Nature | access-date=2 February 2022}}</ref>
* 1956: Name changed to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
* 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: The [[World Wide Fund for Nature|World Wildlife Fund]] set up as a complementary organization 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 its international secretariat.
* 1972: UNESCO adopts the [[World Heritage Site|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.{{col-break}}
* 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.
* 1991: IUCN (together with [[United Nations Environment Programme]] and the [[World Wide Fund for Nature]]) publishes ''Caring for the Earth''.
* 2003: Establishment of the IUCN Business and Biodiversity Program.
* 2008: Stopped using World Conservation Union as its official name and reverted its name back to International Union for Conservation of Nature.
* 2012: IUCN publishes list of [[The world's 100 most threatened species]].
* 2016: Created a new IUCN membership category for indigenous peoples' organizations.
* 2021: Created a new IUCN membership category for subnational governments.{{col-end}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/International-Union-for-Conservation-of-Nature |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Current work==

=== IUCN Programme 2017–2020 ===
According to its website, IUCN works on the following themes: business, [[climate change]], economics, [[ecosystems]], [[environmental law]], [[forest protection|forest conservation]], [[gender]], global policy, [[marine habitats|marine]] and [[polar regions|polar]], [[protected areas]], science and knowledge, [[social policy]], [[species]], water, and [[world heritage sites|world heritage]].<ref>{{cite web|title=What we do|url=http://www.iucn.org/what/|website=IUCN|access-date=4 December 2014|archive-date=23 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160523101414/http://www.iucn.org/what/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

IUCN works on the basis of four-year programs, determined by the membership. In the IUCN Programme for 2017–2020 conserving nature and biodiversity is linked to sustainable development and poverty reduction. IUCN states that it aims to have a solid factual base for its work and takes into account the knowledge held by indigenous groups and other traditional users of natural resources.

The IUCN Programme 2017–2020 identifies three priority areas:<ref name="IUCN Programme">{{Cite news|url=https://www.iucn.org/about/programme-work-and-reporting/programme|title=IUCN Programme|date=2015-10-01|work=IUCN|access-date=2017-07-04|language=en}}</ref>

# Valuing and conserving nature.
# Promoting and supporting effective and equitable governance of natural resources.
# Deploying [[Nature Based Solutions]] to address societal challenges including climate change, food security, and economic and social development.<ref name="IUCN Programme" />

IUCN does not itself aim to directly mobilize the general public. Education has been part of IUCN's work program since the early days but the focus is on stakeholder involvement and strategic communication rather than mass-campaigns.<ref>{{cite web|title=CEC – what we do|url=http://www.iucn.org/about/union/commissions/cec/cec_what_we_do/|website=IUCN|access-date=26 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226162000/http://www.iucn.org/about/union/commissions/cec/cec_what_we_do/|archive-date=26 December 2014}}</ref>

===Habitats and species===
[[File:IUCN Animal Threat Category List.png|thumb|IUCN Animal Threat Category List]]
IUCN runs field projects for [[habitat conservation|habitat]] and species conservation around the world. It produces the [[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species]] and the [[IUCN Red List of Ecosystems]]. The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is applicable at local, national, regional, and global levels.

IUCN's stated goal is to expand the global network of [[national parks]] and other [[protected areas]] and promote good management of such areas.<ref>{{cite news|title='Green List' awards world's top conservation sites|url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2014/11/iucn-sets-up-the-green-list|access-date=18 November 2014|website=Australian Geographic|date=14 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.iucn.org/theme/protected-areas/wcpa/what-we-do/biodiversity-and-protected-areas/key-biodiversity-areas|title=Key Biodiversity Areas|date=2016-03-08|work=IUCN|access-date=2017-07-04|language=en}}</ref> In particular, it focuses on greater protection of the [[oceans]] and [[marine habitats]].

=== Business partnerships ===
IUCN has a growing program of partnerships with the corporate sector on a regional, national and international level to promote sustainable use of natural resources.<ref name = annualreport>{{Cite web|url= https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2017-001-v.1-En.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114145436/https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2017-001-v.1-En.pdf |archive-date=2017-11-14 |url-status=live |title=IUCN 2016 Annual Report|date=2017|location= Gland, Switzerland}}</ref>

=== National and international policy ===
On the national level, IUCN helps governments prepare national biodiversity policies. Internationally, IUCN provides advice to environmental conventions such as the [[Convention on Biological Diversity]], [[CITES]], and the [[Framework Convention on Climate Change]]. It advises [[UNESCO]] on natural [[World Heritage Site|world heritage]].<br />
It has a formally accredited permanent observer mission to the [[United Nations]].<ref name="IUCN Programme" /><br />
IUCN has official relations with the multiple other international bodies.<ref>{{cite web|title=UNESCO NGO database|url=http://ngo-db.unesco.org/r/or/en/1100033055|website=UNESCO|access-date=4 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208140552/http://ngo-db.unesco.org/r/or/en/1100033055|archive-date=8 December 2014}}</ref>

==Organizational structure==
As an organization, IUCN has three components: the member organizations, the six scientific commissions and the secretariat.

===Members===
IUCN Members are States, government agencies, international nongovernmental organizations, national nongovernmental organizations and indigenous peoples' organizations. In 2017, IUCN had 1400 members.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.iucn.org/news/secretariat/201706/iucn-welcomes-13-new-members|title= IUCN welcomes 13 new Members|date=2017-06-06|work=IUCN|access-date=2017-07-04|language=en}}</ref> The members can organize themselves in national or regional committees to promote cooperation. In 2016, there were 62 national committees and 7 regional committees.<ref name="annualreport" /> [[File:USSR 1978.jpg|thumb|[[Soviet]] [[Soviet stamps|stamp]] commemorating the 1978 IUCN General Assembly in [[Ashgabat]]]]

===Commissions===
The seven IUCN Commissions involve volunteer experts from a range of disciplines. They 'assess the state of the world's natural resources and provide the Union with sound know-how and policy advice on conservation issues'.<ref name="IUCNCommissions">{{cite web | url = http://www.iucn.org/about/union/commissions/ | title = IUCN – Commissions |date=12 May 2010 |publisher=International Union for Conservation of Nature |access-date=8 September 2010}}</ref>
* Commission on Education and Communication (CEC): communication, learning and knowledge management in IUCN and the wider conservation community.
* Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP): economic and social factors for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
* World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL): developing new legal concepts and instruments and building the capacity of societies to employ environmental law for conservation and sustainable development.
* Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM): integrated ecosystem approaches to the management of natural and modified ecosystems.
* [[IUCN Species Survival Commission|Species Survival Commission]] (SSC): technical aspects of species conservation and action for species that are threatened with [[extinction]]. Specialist groups of the SSC prepare [[endangered species recovery plan]]s known as Species Action Plans, which are used to outline the conservation strategies of species.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/publications/species_actions_plans/ |title=IUCN – Species Action Plans |access-date=21 March 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325163018/http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/publications/species_actions_plans/ |archive-date=25 March 2016 }}</ref>
* [[World Commission on Protected Areas]] (WCPA): establishment and effective management of a network of terrestrial and marine protected areas.
* Climate Crisis Commission: established 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.iucn.org/our-union/expert-commissions/climate-crisis-commission | title=Expert Commissions }}</ref>
The IUCN head office is in [[Gland, Switzerland]]. Eight regional offices headed by a director implement IUCN's program in their respective territories. Since 1980, IUCN has established offices in more than 50 countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=About IUCN|url=http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/|website=IUCN|access-date=22 December 2014}}</ref>

==Governance and funding==

===Governance===
The '''World Conservation Congress''' (Members' Assembly) is IUCN's highest decision-making body. The congress convenes every four years. It elects the council, including the president, and approves IUCN's work program for the next four years and budget.

The IUCN council is the principal governing body of IUCN. The council provides strategic direction for the activities of the Union, discusses specific policy issues and provides guidance on finance and the membership development of the Union. The council is composed of the president, four vice presidents (elected by the council from among its members), the treasurer, the chairs of IUCN's six commissions, three regional councillors from each of IUCN's eight statutory regions and a councillor from the state in which IUCN has its seat (Switzerland). IUCN's current president is [[Razan Al Mubarak]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iucn.org/news/secretariat/202109/iucn-members-elect-new-leadership|title=President|date=2021-09-08|website=IUCN|language=en|access-date=2022-02-15}}</ref>

The council appoints a director general, who is responsible for the overall management of IUCN and the running of the secretariat. The current IUCN director general is Grethel Aguilar.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iucn.org/about/senior-management/director-general|title=Director General|date=2015-08-31|website=IUCN|language=en|access-date=2025-09-14}}</ref> She succeeded [[Bruno Oberle]].

<gallery class="center">
File:Jean-Paul Harroy.jpg|[[Jean-Paul Harroy]]
File:Portrait of tracy philipps.jpg|[[Tracy Philipps]]
File:Hugh Elliott 1 red.jpg|[[Sir Hugh Elliott, 3rd Baronet|Hugh Elliott]]
File:Achim Steiner Oxford Martin School.jpg|[[Achim Steiner]]
File:Inger Andersen (environmentalist, 2010, cropped).jpg|[[Inger Andersen (environmentalist)|Inger Andersen]]
File:Bruno Oberle-IMG 1279.jpg|[[Bruno Oberle]]
</gallery>

{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
;IUCN presidents since 1948<ref name="hesselink">Hesselink, Frits; Čeřovský, Jan: ''[http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/cec_history_annex_28sept08.pdf Learning to Change the Future] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906161156/http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/cec_history_annex_28sept08.pdf |date=6 September 2011 }}'', IUCN 2008, p.&nbsp;22. URL retrieved 2011-01-24.</ref>
* 1948–1954 {{flagicon|SUI}} {{interlanguage link|Charles Jean Bernard|fr}}
* 1954–1958 {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Roger Heim]]
* 1958–1963 {{flagicon|SUI}} [[Jean Georges Baer]]
* 1963–1966 {{flagicon|FRA}} {{interlanguage link|François Bourlière|fr}}
* 1966–1972 {{flagicon|USA}} [[Harold Jefferson Coolidge, Jr.|Harold J. Coolidge]]
* 1972–1978 {{flagicon|NED}} {{interlanguage link|Donald Kuenen|nl}}
* 1978–1984 {{flagicon|EGY}} [[Mohamed Kassas]]
* 1984–1990 {{flagicon|IND}} [[M. S. Swaminathan]]
* 1990–1994 {{flagicon|GUY}} [[Shridath Ramphal]]
* 1994–1996 {{flagicon|USA}} Jay D. Hair
* 1996–2004 {{flagicon|ECU}} [[Yolanda Kakabadse]]
* 2004–2008 {{flagicon|RSA}} [[Valli Moosa]]
* 2008–2012 {{flagicon|IND}} [[Ashok Khosla]]
* 2012–2021 {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Zhang Xinsheng]]
* 2021–present {{flagicon|UAE}} [[Razan Al Mubarak]]
{{col-break}}
;IUCN Directors General since 1948<ref name="hesselink" />
* 1948–1955 {{flagicon|BEL}} Jean Paul Harroy
* 1955–1958 {{flagicon|UK}} [[Tracy Philipps]]
* 1959–1960 {{flagicon|NED}} M.C. Bloemers
* 1961–1962 {{flagicon|UK}} Gerald Watterson
* 1963–1966 {{flagicon|UK}} [[Sir Hugh Elliott, 3rd Baronet|Hugh Elliott]]
* 1966–1970 {{flagicon|UK}} Joe Berwick
* 1970–1976 {{flagicon|VEN}} [[Gerardo Budowski]]
* 1977–1980 {{flagicon|CAN}} David Munro
* 1980–1982 {{flagicon|USA}} [[Lee M. Talbot]]
* 1983–1988 {{flagicon|USA}} Kenton Miller
* 1988–1994 {{flagicon|UK}} [[Martin Holdgate]]
* 1994–1999 {{flagicon|NZL}} David McDowell
* 1999–2001 {{flagicon|DE}} Marita Koch-Weser
* 2001–2006 {{flagicon|DE}}{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Achim Steiner]]
* 2007–2014 {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Julia Marton-Lefèvre]]
* 2015–2019 {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Inger Andersen (environmentalist)|Inger Andersen]]
* 2019–2023 {{Flagicon|CHE}} [[Bruno Oberle]]
* 2023-present {{flagicon|CRI}} Grethel Aguilar {{col-end}}

===Funding===
IUCN's total income in 2012 was 114&nbsp;million [[Swiss franc|CHF]] (€95&nbsp;million or US$116&nbsp;million).<br />
IUCN's funding mainly comes from Official Development Assistance budgets of bilateral and multilateral agencies. This represented 61% of its income in 2012. Additional sources of income are the membership fees, as well as grants and project funding from foundations, institutions, and corporations.<ref>{{cite web|title=IUCN Annual Report 2012|url=https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/IUCN-2014-017.pdf|publisher=IUCN|access-date=22 December 2014}}</ref>

==Influence and criticism==

===Influence===
IUCN is considered one of the most influential conservation organizations and, together with [[World Wide Fund for Nature]] (WWF) and the [[World Resources Institute]] (WRI), is seen as a driving force behind the rise of the influence of environmental organizations at the UN and around the world.<ref name="Understanding NGOs" /><ref name="What is IUCN">{{cite web|title=What is IUCN?|url=http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-iucn.htm|website=WiseGeek|first = Jessica|last = Ellis|date = 7 October 2020}}</ref>

It has established a worldwide network of governmental and non-governmental organizations, involves experts in the IUCN Commissions, has formal ties to international agreements and intergovernmental organizations and increasingly also partnerships with international business. The World Conservation Congress and the World Parks Congress events organized by IUCN are the largest gatherings of organizations and individuals involved in conservation worldwide.

According to some, IUCN has considerable influence in defining what nature conservation actually is.<ref name="IUCN: A History of Constraint">{{cite book|last1=MacDonald|first1=Kenneth|title=IUCN: A History of Constraint|publisher= UCLouvain |url= http://perso.uclouvain.be/marc.maesschalck/MacDonaldInstitutional_Reflexivity_and_IUCN-17.02.03.pdf|access-date=12 December 2014}}</ref> The [[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species]] and the [[IUCN Red List of Ecosystems]] determine which species and natural areas merit protection. Through the Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas and the system of [[IUCN protected area categories]] IUCN influences how protected areas are managed.

===Criticism===
It has been claimed that the IUCN puts the needs of nature above those of humans, disregarding economic considerations and the interests of [[indigenous peoples]] and other traditional users of the land. Until the 1980s IUCN favoured the "Yellowstone Model" of conservation which called for the removal of humans from protected areas. The expulsion of the [[Maasai people]] from [[Serengeti National Park]] and the [[Ngorongoro Conservation Area]] is perhaps the best known example of this approach.<ref name="wrm.org.uy" /><ref name="holdgate" />

[[File:Ngorongoro 2012 05 30 2353 (7500935618).jpg|thumb|IUCN's relationships with local land users like the Maasai have caused controversy in the past.]]

This is linked to another criticism that has been directed at IUCN, namely that throughout its history it has mainly been 'Northern focused', i.e. had a West-European or North-American perspective on global conservation. Some critics point to the fact that many individuals involved in the establishment of IUCN had been leading figures in the British Society for the Preservation of the Wild Fauna of Empire, which wanted to protect species against the impact of 'native' hunting pressure in order to safeguard hunting by Europeans.<ref name="IUCN: A History of Constraint" /> The fact that, at least until the 1990s, most of IUCN staff, the chairs of the Commissions and the IUCN president came from western countries has also led to criticism.<ref name="holdgate" />

More recently, activist environmental groups have argued that IUCN is too closely associated with governmental organizations and with the commercial sector.<ref name="What is IUCN" /> IUCN's cooperation with [[Royal Dutch Shell|Shell]] came in for criticism, also from its own membership.<ref name="worldwatch.org"/> IUCN's close partnership with [[The Coca-Cola Company|Coca-Cola]] in [[Vietnam]] – where they have together been launching Coca-Cola-focused community centres – has also drawn some criticism and allegations of [[greenwashing]].<ref>{{cite news|date=2016-04-04|title=What's an EKOCENTER and what does it do?|language=ur|work=IUCN|url=https://www.iucn.org/ur/node/26042|url-status=dead|access-date=2017-06-20|archive-date=3 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203153835/https://www.iucn.org/ur/node/26042}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/dec/04/coca-cola-coke-water-neutral|title=Greenwash: Are Coke's green claims the real thing? |date=2008-12-04 |newspaper = The Guardian |access-date=2017-06-20 |language=en-GB |issn = 0261-3077 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/2985093/never_mind_the_greenwash_coca_cola_can_never_be_water_neutral.html |title = Never mind the greenwash – Coca Cola can never be 'water neutral' |work=The Ecologist |access-date=2017-06-20 }}</ref> Its decision to hold the 2012 World Conservation Congress on [[Jeju Island]], [[South Korea]], where the local community and international environmental activists were protesting against the construction of a navy base also led to controversy.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jeju island navy base controversy divides iucn|url=http://biodiversitymedia.ning.com/profiles/blogs/jeju-island-navy-base-controversy-divides-iucn|website=Biodiversity media alliance|access-date=12 December 2014|archive-date=27 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227015905/http://biodiversitymedia.ning.com/profiles/blogs/jeju-island-navy-base-controversy-divides-iucn|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Publications==
IUCN has a wide range of publications, reports, guidelines, and databases (including the [[Global Invasive Species Database]]) related to conservation and [[sustainable development]]. It publishes or co-authors more than 100 books and major assessments every year, along with hundreds of reports, documents, and guidelines.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iucn.org/resources/publications|title=Publications|publisher=IUCN|access-date=2012-01-28|archive-date=18 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218222235/https://www.iucn.org/resources/publications|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2015, 76 IUCN articles were published in peer reviewed scientific journals.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2016-020.pdf|title=IUCN Annual Report 2015|publisher=IUCN|page=21}}</ref>

A report, released at the IUCN World Parks Congress in Sydney on 12 November 2014 showed that the 209,000 conservation reserves around the world now cover 15.4 per cent of the total land area. This is a step towards protecting 17 percent of land and 10 percent of ocean environments on Earth by 2020 since an agreement between the world's nations at the [[Convention on Biological Diversity]], held in [[Japan]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite news|title=Big increase in Earth's protected areas|url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2014/11/big-increase-in-earth%E2%80%99s-protected-areas|access-date=17 November 2014|website=Australian Geographic|date=13 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117120015/http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2014/11/big-increase-in-earth%E2%80%99s-protected-areas|archive-date=17 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of environmental organizations]]
* [[List of nature conservation organizations|List of conservation organisations]]

== Notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|IUCN—International Union for the Conservation of Nature}}
* {{Official website|www.iucn.org}}
* [http://www.protectedplanet.net/ IUCN and UNEP World Database on Protected Areas]
* [https://www.iucnredlist.org/ Red List of Threatened Species]
* [http://iucnrle.org Red List of Ecosystems]
* [https://www.iucn.org/resources/publications IUCN publications] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218222235/https://www.iucn.org/resources/publications |date=18 February 2021 }}
* [https://discoverarchives.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/international-union-for-conservation-of-nature-iucn-fonds International Union for the Conservation of Nature oral history interview (Pimlott's remarks)] held at the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200426160845/https://utarms.library.utoronto.ca/ University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services]
{{Conservation organisations}}{{Prince of Asturias Award for Concord}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:International Union For Conservation of Nature}}
[[Category:International Union for Conservation of Nature| ]]
[[Category:International environmental organizations]]
[[Category:Nature conservation organisations based in Europe]]
[[Category:International forestry organizations]]
[[Category:Scientific organizations established in 1948]]
[[Category:Environmental conservation]]
[[Category:United Nations General Assembly observers]]
[[Category:Intergovernmental environmental organizations]]
[[Category:1948 establishments in France]]
[[Category:International organisations based in Switzerland]]