Our Work

Our work is guided by the priorities of our Members, which are defined and updated by motions they have endorsed that have become actionable once adopted as resolutions at each World Conservation Congress. We seek opportunities to add value to their efforts, versus duplicating them.  

We pursue specific initiatives and projects within the region that help leverage our quite unique convening power, utilize our tools, and build upon ongoing member and partner work. We also have over 30 staff outposted in our office from each of the four thematic centres. Examples of work underway regionally include increasing the uptake of nature-based solutions including green infrastructure, helping to make sure that both the who and the what counts related to 30x30 and Half Earth protection takes place, innovate conservation financing, youth and indigenous people initiatives, and green listing marine protected areas. 

The North America Office has built strong relationships with U.S. funders – including government agencies, charitable foundations, and philanthropists – to support the work of IUCN and its partners and Members worldwide.

Current priorities of the North America Regional Office include: 

• Representing IUCN on the Steering Committee of the America the Beautiful for All Coalition and contributing to the recently-launched 2024 Policy Agenda. Launched in Spring 2022, The America the Beautiful for All Coalition is helping to connect, restore, and conserve 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 (30×30) by uniting land, freshwater, ocean, wildlife, community, recreation, and equity advocates across the nation to drive urgent action by the Biden Administration and other decision-makers in support of our shared goals while building long-term political power.
• Guiding IUCN's contributions to the Nature Crime Alliance, a global, multi-sector network that raises political will, mobilises financial commitment, and bolsters operational capacity to fight nature crime and the other international criminal activities with which it converges.
• Leading the International Union for Conservation of Nature – United States (IUCN-US), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, builds bridges between US donors and IUCN, by catalyzing, accelerating, funding and promoting IUCN’s work — conserving nature and natural resources in the United States and throughout the world.