Nature in Ibero-American diplomacy: IUCN participates in the Ibero-American Conference of Ministers of Environment and Climate

In a context marked by the accelerating climate crisis and biodiversity loss, the XIII Ibero-American Conference of Ministers of Environment and Climate, held in Málaga (Spain) on 25-26 March, has reinforced the role of regional cooperation as a driver of environmental action.

Organised by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITERD), under the co-presidency of Sara Aagesen, Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain, and Andrés Allamand, Secretary General of the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), the meeting brought together governments and key stakeholders from across the region. It was, in the words of several participants, an effort to reshape cooperation priorities in a world that can no longer afford to separate development from nature.

In this intergovernmental dialogue space, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) participated as an observer organisation, contributing a perspective focused on concrete, nature-based solutions.

“Nature is not an environmental luxury; it is a strategic asset,” said IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar, in an intervention that highlighted the challenges governments face from droughts, wildfires and growing pressure on natural resources.

Aguilar underscored that Ibero-America, as one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, “has a unique opportunity to lead development models based on nature.” In this context, she emphasised the critical role of oceans in climate regulation and economic well-being, while warning about the increasing pressure they face from pollution, particularly plastics, which are already severely affecting marine ecosystems.

She also highlighted that water security must be placed at the centre of the Ibero-American agenda, not only as an environmental issue but as a cornerstone of economic stability, food security and social cohesion. She stressed that integrating water, climate and biodiversity into decision-making is now an urgent necessity.

A shared environmental agenda for 2030

One of the main outcomes of the Conference was the approval of the Ibero-American Environmental Agenda (AMI), conceived as the central programmatic framework for environmental cooperation up to 2030. The Agenda is structured around several thematic pillars and a cross-cutting approach aimed at integrating climate, biodiversity, water and pollution.

The document will be submitted to the XXX Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, to be held in November in Madrid, where it is expected to be endorsed as a shared roadmap for the region.

The Conference also concluded with the adoption of an official declaration by Ministers of Environment and Climate, reaffirming commitments to biodiversity conservation, restoration and sustainable use, climate action and the sustainable management of natural resources.

IUCN’s Director General welcomed the adoption of the Agenda as a significant step forward and reaffirmed the organisation’s readiness to support its implementation by strengthening regional cooperation, mobilising finance and scaling up solutions that are already delivering results.