Unite for Nature, Issue 3

A crucial year for our Union

My first six months as Director General of IUCN have been an inspiration. I have felt the power of our Union through the actions of all our Members around the world, whether they be governments, Indigenous Peoples’ organisations or non-governmental organisations.

Every action, big or small, has an impact and helps us achieve a better planet and improve the wellbeing of people.

I have also seen the energy and commitment of the IUCN Secretariat working in our offices around the world, and of our seven Commissions with their 16,000 expert volunteers, who generate knowledge and policy advice, willing to serve a cause and a vision.

Every IUCN Member organisation and expert brings different views and ways of doing things. It’s amazing to see how different people around the globe approach challenges and opportunities under one common mission. I feel honoured to be trusted with being part of this incredible organisation. IUCN’s very nature is testament to the fact we are all interconnected, and can only solve the planetary crisis confronting us through working together, united in the need for innovative solutions and urgent action.

This year is very important for such action, with countries meeting for several international environmental conventions – on biodiversity, climate change and desertification. Already, IUCN has attended the Conference of the Parties on Migratory Species. We are a strong voice at these international conventions where we unite for nature, but we will not change the world only by attending global conferences. We have to work with countries and communities, and our Members are best placed to do that. We have to build up from the local to the international and go from the international to the local. It’s a two-way street.

This year, IUCN will hold nine Regional Conservation Fora, meeting with our Members all over the world. There, we will build the path IUCN will follow in the approaching years. We will work on the next steps for our Nature 2030 Programme in this new quadrennial cycle, aligning it with our upcoming 20-year strategic vision. This year, we will also celebrate 60 years of the IUCN Red List, the conservation work that has come from it, as well as the partnership that underpins this world-renowned tool.

Seeing the organisation through the perspective of Director General over the last six months has been inspiring and very fulfilling. It tells me we can continue to achieve great things – at a moment when the planet needs IUCN.

Together, we will show the world what we are capable of as a Union.

Dr Grethel Aguilar
IUCN Director General