Asia Regional Conservation Forum concludes, charting a path to 2025 IUCN Congress

“We are now navigating towards Abu Dhabi where we will be reunited with the even bigger IUCN family. While the planet faces important challenges, if we stand together - united for nature - we can turn the tide and have a promising future. IUCN has never been as strong as it is today,” said Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General.

Professor Ma Keping, IUCN Asia Regional Members Committee (ARMC) Chair and Councillor, provided an update of meetings and workshops organised by the ARMC. Upon closing, he reiterated that “as a global leading organisation for nature conservation, the network and influence of the Union should be further strengthened.”

“We have just delivered the best RCF this region has ever witnessed,” stressed Dr Dindo Campilan, IUCN Regional Director for Asia and Hub Director for Oceania. He further reminded the IUCN Constituents that the “tasks start from now, and the next 13 months will be very critical. We must ensure that the ‘voice of Asia’ is heard by all at the World Conservation Congress.”

During the plenary sessions, which involved Members and Commissions, discussions covered a range of priority issues, including i) the process for Members to submit motions for deliberation at the next IUCN Congress in Abu Dhabi, ii) ideas to enhance collaboration between Members and Commissions, as well as iii) improved governance and potential amendments to the IUCN Statutes.

In discussing the IUCN 20-year Strategic Vision for the Union and the Programme 2026-2029, forum participants pointed to the need for IUCN to engage with broader environmental and development sectors, to work more closely with private companies, as well as enhancing the livelihoods of local communities while protecting biodiversity.

The closing session was graced by Dr Klairoong Poonpon, Specialist at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP), Government of Thailand. She stressed the participants to “carry forward the momentum generated during these sessions, knowledge we have gained and relationships we have forged, to serve as catalysts for action in our respective organisations and communities.”

Held for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, this iteration of the Asia RCF introduced new initiatives, such as the Youth Leaders Forum, which invited youth representatives from around 20 countries to directly voice their opinions to IUCN Constituents.

The Forum also featured eight thematic sessions on new and existing programme priorities, as well as 16 side events organised by IUCN Members, Commissions and partners. Aside from a dedicated exhibition area filled with posters and booths, the Forum also collaborated with the IUCN Academy to establish the ‘Learning Zone’, featuring 14 interactive sessions with 4 academic partners and experts within IUCN.

The IUCN Constituents in Asia now embark on a year-long process to submit motions and provide further feedback on the next IUCN Programme 2026-2029, as well as the 20-year Strategic Vision for the Union.

The 8^th IUCN Asia RCF was co-organised with the National Committee of IUCN Members in Thailand, co-hosted with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Government of Thailand, and supported by Toyota Motor Asia (Thailand) Co. Ltd. as Forum Partner.