Framework partners

Our Framework Partners

IUCN gratefully acknowledges the long-standing support and strategic engagement of its Framework Partners.

IUCN Framework partners

IUCN’s Framework Partners are governments of IUCN State Member countries that work with IUCN through long-term strategic partnerships, combining sustained institutional support with high-level dialogue and collaboration to advance the IUCN Programme, consistent with their mandated role within the Union.

Together, IUCN and its Framework Partners advance shared priorities, respond to emerging environmental challenges and strengthen the knowledge, capacity and partnerships needed to deliver conservation impact at scale.

“With its composition of governments, scientists, civil society, the private sector and Indigenous Peoples, IUCN is crucial in driving the global momentum needed to conserve our shared nature. Denmark supports IUCN because of its robust institutional capacity and science-based knowledge, which provide unique expertise and democratic legitimacy essential to achieving our collective biodiversity and climate goals.”

Elsebeth Søndergaard Krone, State Secretary for Development Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

How Framework Partnerships create impact

IUCN’s strength lies not only in the projects it delivers, but in the catalytic roles it plays. Long term institutional funding from Framework Partners sustains the institutional capacity that enables IUCN to connect actors, generate trusted knowledge, influence policy, advance education and strengthen capacities and mobilise resources for conservation action.

Beyond institutional funding, Framework Partnerships can also include strategic collaboration, secondments and targeted initiatives, helping to foster innovation, strengthen IUCN’s institutional capacity and support conservation impact.

“Framework Partners are united by a shared vision: a just world that values and conserves nature. Their partnership strengthens IUCN's unique ability to bring together science, policy and action across sectors, drawing on our technical expertise and the collective strength of our Union, which unites governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and the private sector. Their support enables us not only to deliver conservation impact today, but also to anticipate tomorrow's challenges, seize new opportunities, and help build a more resilient future for both nature and people.”

Dr. Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General

Partnerships delivering impact at scale

Across IUCN’s work, Framework Partnerships have helped catalyse initiatives and approaches that deliver conservation impact at scale.

Advancing Nature-based Solutions

With long-term collaboration and support from Framework Partners, IUCN developed the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions, now applied in more than 60 countries. This also helped lay the foundations for a growing NbS portfolio and initiatives including the ENACT Partnership.

Catalysing conservation finance at scale

In Eastern and Southern Africa, early institutional investment helped catalyse the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Area Financing Facility, unlocking €60 million to scale conservation impact across ten countries.

Pioneering Indigenous-led finance

Framework Funding supported a decade of institutional groundwork that enabled IUCN and Indigenous leaders to co-design PODONG, an Indigenous-led finance initiative. PODONG has mobilised over USD 22 million for Indigenous-led conservation and reached more than 28,000 direct beneficiaries across four countries.