The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Congress, held in Abu Dhabi from 9 to 15 October, concluded by setting out a vision for nature conservation over the next 20 years. Over the past week, more than 10,000 participants – including government representatives, scientists, Indigenous Peoples, youth, civil society and business leaders – have come together to chart a collective path to a nature-positive future.

The IUCN Members’ Assembly has adopted the Abu Dhabi Call to Action, reaffirming the Union’s commitment to accelerate action for a planet where nature and people thrive together and nearly 150 motions have been passed that will shape IUCN’s work for the coming years.

The Assembly has also voted to elect a new Council, which is IUCN’s main governing body and is composed of a Chair, Treasurer, 26 Councils and Chairs from each of IUCN’s seven Commissions. Razan Al Mubarak has been re-elected president, who will serve her second term. Al Mubarak has expressed his commitment to broadening the EU’s reach and impact, with priorities such as the 20-year Strategic Vision, which has just been adopted.

Each region of the world is represented through regional councillors, who bring together a rich tapestry of environmental experience, knowledge and leadership. Among the newly elected members is Sonia Castañeda, deputy director for the Green Transition of the Biodiversity Foundation, whose candidacy was proposed for re-election by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. He is the third person of Spanish nationality to sit on the Council in the 78-year history of the Union.

The chairpersons of the seven Commissions of the Union have also been elected: Commission for the Survival of Species, World Commission on Protected Areas, Commission on Education and Communication, Commission on Ecosystem Management, Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy, World Commission on Environmental Law and Commission on Climate Action.

Together with IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar, the new Council will guide and strengthen the organization’s work over the next four years. The diversity of the new Council, the most equal in IUCN’s history, spanning continents, cultures and sectors, underscores the Union’s unique ability to unite governments, NGOs, scientists, indigenous leaders and youth around common goals. The governing body will focus on advancing key conservation objectives, strengthening collaboration and maintaining its position at the forefront of protecting nature globally, reaffirming its commitment to conservation, for the benefit of people and the planet.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a Union of Members composed of states, government agencies and civil society organizations. IUCN provides public, private and non-governmental entities with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation in a holistic manner. Established in 1948, IUCN has become the largest and most diverse environmental network in the world. It is made up of more than 1,500 organisations and has more than 18,000 experts.