“Her Deepness” Dr. Sylvia Earle is one of many ocean advocates attending the IUCN World Conservation Congress in the United Arab Emirates this week.
The opening ceremony featured Earle as well as other global conservation leaders including Republic of Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr.; Princess Lalla Hasna of Morocco; Panama’s Minister of Environment Juan Carlos Navarro; UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UNEP Elizabeth Maruma Mrema; IUCN President Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak; and IUCN Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar.
The IUCN Congress, which is taking place from October 9 to 15, this year brings together more than 10,000 attendees (on site and virtually) including decision-makers from government, civil society, Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations, academia and business to advance and set the conservation and sustainable development agenda for decades to come.
Held every four years, the Congress enables IUCN’s more than 1,400 Member organizations to determine the most pressing issues in nature conservation and actions to address them to help guide humanity’s relationship with our planet.
IUCN President Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak said:
“This Congress is a reminder that the well-being of people and the well-being of nature are inseparable. We understand more than ever how deeply our lives depend on the natural world, yet we continue to act as if we are apart from it. Here in Abu Dhabi, we have the chance to turn understanding into unity, and unity into action. The decisions taken this week will determine whether we meet the moment with courage and cooperation. If we succeed, this Congress will show that science, inclusion, and shared purpose can still guide humanity toward a future where both people and nature thrive.”
The Congress is also the largest marketplace for conservation and sustainable development science, practice and policy. Scientists, policy experts, business leaders and professionals from around the globe are sharing their experience, innovation and latest research.
IUCN Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar added:
“As we open this World Conservation Congress, generously co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates…let us celebrate not only what we have achieved, but what we must continue to achieve together. Let us act with the urgency this moment demands, but also with the hope and creativity that this Union embodies. Let us commit to being remembered for what we did right. Together, we can conserve, restore, and rebuild.
“Together, we can send a powerful message to the world: that change is possible, that unity is stronger than division, and that a thriving planet and a world that values and conserves nature is within our reach. When future generations look back, may they say: this was the moment when humanity chose wisely. This was the moment when we stood united for nature, for people, for life itself.”
Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall had been scheduled to attend the IUCN Congress. Following her recent passing, the organization announced it will pay tribute to her legacy and continue the vital work she inspired.
This week’s Congress will feature the Members’ Assembly – the organization’s highest decision-making body. Members will debate and vote on draft motions, which, if and when adopted, become Resolutions and Recommendations, forming the core body of IUCN’s policy and program. These decisions will help drive action on nature loss and other global challenges.
A series of summits are also taking place across the opening days of the event, including: The first World Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nature, a Business Summit, a Youth Summit, a Philanthropy Summit and the third MENA Oceans Summit.
