The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization An international organization is an organization with an international membership, scope, or presence. There are two main types: dedicated to natural resource Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity existent in various ecosystems. Natural resources are derived from the environment. Many of them are essential for our survival while others are used for conservation Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its, fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. Secondary focus is on materials conservation and energy conservation, which are seen as important to protect the natural world. Those who follow the. It helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.
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Overview of IUCN
The IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental network - a democratic membership union with more than 1,000 government and NGO member organizations, and almost 11,000 volunteer scientists in more than 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by more than 1,000 professional staff in 60 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. The Union’s headquarters are located in Gland A gland is an organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release such as hormones or breast milk, often into the bloodstream or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface (exocrine gland), near Geneva Geneva (Arpitan: Genèva, IPA: [ˈd͡zənɛva]; French: Genève, IPA: [ʒənɛv]; German: Genf, IPA: [ˈɡɛnf] ; Italian: Ginevra; Romansh: Genevra) is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandie (the French-speaking part of Switzerland). Situated where the Rhône River exits Lake Geneva (, Switzerland. .[1]
Vision and Mission
IUCN's vision is a just world that values and conserves nature.[2] IUCN's mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or on an entire planet. Biodiversity is one measure of the health of biological systems. Life on Earth today consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The year 2010 was declared the International Year of Biodiversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.[1]
History
The logo before World Conservation Union was dropped as an official nameThe first Director General of UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945. Its stated purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, the rule of, (Sir Julian Huxley Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS was an English evolutionary biologist, humanist and internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection, and a leading figure in the mid-twentieth century evolutionary synthesis. He was Secretary of the Zoological Society of London (1935–1942), the first Director of UNESCO, and a founding member of the World), wishing to give UNESCO a more scientific base, sponsored a congress to establish a new environmental institution to help serve this purpose.[3]
At that first congress (held at Fontainebleau Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located 55.5 kilometres (34.5 mi) south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau. The commune has the largest land area in the Île-de-France region; it, France France is a founding member state of the European Union and is the largest one by area. France has been a major power for several centuries with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and in the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America; during the 19th and early 20th), on 5 October 1948, 18 governments, 7 international organizations, and 107 national nature conservation organizations all agreed to form the institution and signed a "constitutive act" creating an International Union for the Protection of Nature.[3]
From this beginning, the overriding strategy and policy of the institution has been to explore and promote mutually beneficial conservation arrangements that suit those promoting development as well as assisting people and nations to better preserve their flora In botany, flora has two meanings: a flora (with a lower case 'f') refers to the plant life occurring in a particular region, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous plant life, while a Flora (with a capital 'F') refers to a book or other work describing a flora and including aids for the identification of the plants it contains such as and fauna Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna".[3]
At all times, the institution (in all its forms) has heavily emphasized as a key operating principle the strong need to cater for and address the needs of local nations, communities and peoples, so that those nations, communities and peoples can take ownership of future, long term conservation goals and objects in their local areas:[3]
| “ | Protected areas and threatened species could most effectively be safeguarded if local people considered it in their own interest to do so. Working with rather than against local people became a major working principle for IUCN. | ” |
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The IUCN's World Conservation Strategy (1980) was founded upon this kind of principle, and clearly announced the IUCN's ambitions to more effectively enter into dialogue with the promoters of human development. The strategy was internationally applauded by many and served to secure the IUCN funds from several donors who didn't themselves feel they could open up effective dialogue in the world's developing countries Developing country is a term generally used to describe a nation with a low level of material well being. There is no single internationally-recognized definition of developed country, and the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries, with some developing countries having high average standards of living, nor that United Nations organizations and international banks would effectively engage in such dialogue.[3]
The IUCN has now expanded into many of the nations around the world, making available the services of a large pool of mainly voluntary specialists, providing local level advice and conservation services, and expanding its networks of Committees and regional advisory bodies into increasing numbers of countries.[3]
Some key dates in the growth and development of this organization include:[3]
- 1956: Name changed from International Union for the Preservation of Nature (IUPN) to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
- 1959: UNESCO decides to create an international list of Nature Parks and equivalent reserves, and the United Nations Secretary General asks the IUCN to prepare this list
- 1961: After more than a decade of funding difficulties, eminent science and business personalities (including Sir Julian Huxley Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS was an English evolutionary biologist, humanist and internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection, and a leading figure in the mid-twentieth century evolutionary synthesis. He was Secretary of the Zoological Society of London (1935–1942), the first Director of UNESCO, and a founding member of the World) decide to set up a complementary fund (the World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in the United States and Canada. It is the world's largest independent conservation organization with) to focus on fund raising, public relations, and increasing public support for nature conservation
- 1969: The IUCN obtains a grant from the Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford which enables it to boost, substantially, its international secretariat.
- 1972: UNESCO adopts the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance. The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 state parties which are elected by their General Assembly for a four-year term and the IUCN is invited to provide technical evaluations and monitoring
- 1974: The IUCN is involved in obtaining the agreement of its members to sign a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CITES is an international agreement between governments, drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The text of the convention was agreed upon in 1973, and CITES entered into force on 1 July 1975. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in), whose secretariat was originally lodged with the IUCN
- 1975: The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognising the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value. It is named after the) comes into force, and its secretariat is administered from the IUCN's headquarters
- 1980: The IUCN (together with the United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP also has six and the World Wide Fund for Nature The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in the United States and Canada. It is the world's largest independent conservation organization with) collaborate with UNESCO to publish a World Conservation Strategy
- 1982: Following IUCN preparation and efforts, the United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation. Its powers are to oversee the budget of the United Nations, appoint the non-permanent members to the Security Council, receive reports from other parts of the United Nations and make adopts the World Charter for Nature
- 1990: Began using the name World Conservation Union as the official name, while continuing using IUCN as its abbreviation
- 1993: the IUCN (together with United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP also has six and the World Wide Fund for Nature The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in the United States and Canada. It is the world's largest independent conservation organization with) publishes Caring for the Earth
- 2008: Stopped using World Conservation Union as its official name and reverted its name back to International Union for Conservation of Nature
- 2008: More than 6,600 leaders from government, the public sector, non-governmental organizations, business, UN agencies and social organizations attended IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
Organizational structure
The Union has three components: its member organizations, its 6 scientific commissions, and its professional secretariat.[1]
Members
The Union unites both States and non-governmental organizations. They set the policies of the Union, define its global programme of work and elect its Council (comparable to a company board) at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. Member organizations organize themselves into National and Regional Committees.[1]
For more information on members, click here
Commissions
There are six Commissions that assess the state of the world’s natural resources and provide the Union with sound know-how and policy advice on conservation issues:[1]
Commission on Education and Communication
IUCN Commission on Education and Communication (CEC): CEC champions the strategic use of communication and education to empower and educate stakeholders for the sustainable use of natural resources. As of May 2010[update], the commission claims 700 members led by Chairman Keith Wheeler.[4]
Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy
IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy (CEESP): CEESP provides expertise and policy advice on economic and social factors for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. As of May 2010[update], CEESP has 1000 members and is led by Chairwoman Aroha Te Pareake Mead and Depuy Chairman Michel Pimbert.[5]
Commission on Environmental Law
IUCN Commission on Environmental Law (CEL): CEL advances environmental law by developing new legal concepts and instruments, as well as by building the capacity of societies to employ environmental law for conservation and sustainable development. As of May 2010[update], there are 800 members on this commission, with the Chairwoman being Sheila Abed de Zavala and Deputy Chairman Antonio Herman V. Benjamin.[6]
Commission on Ecosystem Management
IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM): CEM provides expert guidance on integrated ecosystem approaches to the management of natural and modified ecosystems. As of May 2010[update], it has 400 members and is led by Chairman Piet Wit.[7][8]
Species Survival Commission
Main article: IUCN Species Survival CommissionIUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC): SSC advises the Union on the technical aspects of species conservation and mobilizes action for those species that are threatened with extinction. It produces the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The IUCN Red List is set upon precise criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies. These criteria are relevant to all species and all regions of the world. The aim is to convey the urgency of conservation issues to the public and policy makers, as well as help the international community to try to reduce species. As of May 2010[update], SSC's members include 7500 species and biodiversity specialists worldwide, organized under Chairman Simon Stuart and deputy chairman Jon Paul Rodríguez.[9]
World Commission on Protected Areas
Main article: World Commission on Protected Areas The World Commission on Protected Areas is one of six Commissions of the IUCN (World Conservation Union). WCPA is the world's premier network of protected area expertise. It is administered by IUCN's Programme on Protected Areas and has over 1,400 members, spanning 140 countriesIUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA): WCPA's mission is to promote the establishment and effective management of a world-wide representative network of terrestrial and marine protected areas. Membership consists of 1300 with a chaiman being Nikita Lopoukhine and vicechairman Trevor Sandwith.[10]
Secretariat
The IUCN headquarters in Gland.The members and commissions work together with a professional secretariat consisting of over 1,000 people in more than 60 different countries. Julia Marton-Lefèvre—a global expert and leader in development and conservation—has been its Director General since 2 January 2007. She succeeded Achim Steiner, who was appointed Executive Director of United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP also has six (UNEP) in June 2006. William Jackson serves as Deputy Director General. [11]
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Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:29:22 GM
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