IUCN and CBD support countries to advance national action on biodiversity conservation under Target 3

Target 3 calls for conserving at least 30 per cent of land, inland waters and seas by 2030 through protected areas, other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), and the recognition of indigenous and traditional territories.

“Effective implementation of Target 3 depends on aligning technical and scientific knowledge with national policy and legal frameworks,” said Marianela Araya, Program Officer Invasive Alien Species/Biodiversity and Health, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. “This subregional exchange is intended to support countries in addressing implementation gaps, sharing experience, and making better use of available tools and guidance to advance progress under the Framework,” she added.

Protected and conserved areas are essential not only for safeguarding wildlife and ecosystems but also for supporting human well-being. Healthy ecosystems help secure clean water, support food systems, reduce disaster risks such as floods and landslides, help regulate climate, and provide livelihoods for millions of people. By maintaining ecosystem integrity and reducing pressures on wildlife and habitats, they help implement the One Health approach by lowering risks linked to biodiversity loss, including the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases. Strengthening protected and conserved area systems is therefore critical for both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

“Advancing Target 3 requires not only ambition, but practical tools, knowledge and cooperation to translate commitments into effective action on the ground,” said Madhu Rao, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). Through its expert Commissions, including WCPA, IUCN stands ready to support countries in strengthening protected and conserved area systems by sharing global expertise and applying science-based standards, best-practice guidance, and tools such as the IUCN Green List Standard and other global knowledge products. Effectively and equitably managed protected and conserved areas are essential not only for biodiversity conservation, but also for supporting livelihoods, human well-being and resilience in the face of global challenges,” she added.

The workshop brings together delegates from Central Asia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation to exchange experience, promote peer learning and strengthen cross-border collaboration and regional cooperation in advancing Target 3 commitments. 

“Over the past seven years, Uzbekistan has increased the area of its protected natural territories from 4 to more than 14 per cent of the country’s territory, expanding them by an additional 5 million hectares. Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework is of particular importance to us. Although protected areas currently cover 14.1 per cent of Uzbekistan’s territory, we intend to further increase this figure, with a strong focus on ecological connectivity, effective management, and the active involvement of local communities,” said Jusipbek Kazbekov, Deputy Chairman, National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan. 

The workshop is supported by IUCN in its role as the official CBD Subregional Technical and Scientific Cooperation (TSC) Support Centre for Central Asia. TSCs are designed to accelerate the implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by enabling countries to access tailored scientific knowledge, tools, expertise, and capacity-building opportunities.

By enhancing regional and national capacities, fostering innovation and technology transfer, and mobilising technical and financial resources, the centres support demand-driven cooperation aligned with national and regional priorities to deliver tangible biodiversity outcomes.

The workshop is delivered by the IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, NatureXpairs and the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, in close cooperation with the support of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan. It is made possible through financial support from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), within the framework of the 1Health4Nature – Enhancing landscape resilience to zoonotic disease emergence by consolidating nature conservation systems in Central Asia project, and the Republic of Korea through the Peace and Biodiversity Dialogue Initiative, the Office Français de la Biodiversité and the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People.

Learn more about the IUCN programme in Central Asia

National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan

Participants at the subregional capacity-building workshop on GBF Target 3

ENDS 

Notes to editors
For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

• Aleksandra Nikodinovic, Regional Communications Officer, IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECARO), phone: +381 63 357 407, email: [email protected]   
• Lola Rakhmanbaeva, Press secretary of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan, phone: +99893 395 36 40, email: [email protected]

About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,400 Member organisations and the input of more than 17,000 experts. This diversity and vast expertise make IUCN the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.  

The IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (IUCN ECARO) was established in 2015 with a view to supporting IUCN constituency and implementing the IUCN Programme in most countries of the IUCN Statutory Region East Europe, North and Central Asia. In an effort to contribute to a more sustainable future for this region, IUCN ECARO focuses its work on good governance, the long-term protection of biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources. The office is based in Belgrade, Serbia, and was initially established as the IUCN Programme Office for South-Eastern Europe (IUCN SEE) in 2004. The IUCN Central Asia office was officially opened in 2025, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 
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