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10th IUCN West Asia Regional Conservation Forum opens in Riyadh

ABU DHABI: Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has delivered the opening remarks at the organisation’s 10th Regional Conservation Forum for West Asia.

Held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, until 11th September, the event is one of nine regional fora taking place this year. It has attracted over 350 representatives – from IUCN member organisations, government agencies, donors, and partner institutions – and will culminate in a roadmap for conservation actions in West Asia.

In addition to focusing on regional challenges, delegates will also deliberate on the IUCN 2026-2029 Programme of Work and the 20-year Strategic Vision of IUCN.

According to Al Mubarak, the need for a long-term, strategic vision was first officially recognised in a resolution passed during the 2021 World Conservation Congress in Marseille, France. The upcoming World Conservation Congress 2025 will be the venue for the formal adoption of the first 20-year strategy, currently in developm
ent.

‘As we approach the World Conservation Congress to be hosted in the United Arab Emirates in October 2025, it is crucial that we shape an IUCN that meets the needs of the times,’ she said, adding that both the work programme and the strategy should reflect pivotal global environmental milestones for 2030 and 2050, as outlined in the UN Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Climate Agreement.

‘These targets are more than just dates on a calendar; they represent urgent calls to action, demanding our immediate and unwavering attention to address key environmental and biodiversity challenges.’ Al Mubarak, who also serves as UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for the leadership team of COP28 UAE, added.

Razan Al Mubarak highlighted the IUCN’s role as a leader in the field of conservation, with a proven track record of reviving habitats and species, providing nature-based solutions, establishing, expanding, and managing protected areas, and shaping global environmental policies. Going forward, this
work will be scaled up and expanded in scope to meet growing environmental challenges, she said.

‘While our tremendous work in the areas of species conservation and protected areas management will continue and grow, we will also innovate in how we address global threats such as climate change, agricultural expansion, and global health crises,’ Al Mubarak said. ‘We need to ensure that nature, climate and the development agendas are bridged and no longer tackled in silos to unlock the full impact of our collective action and finance.’

Inclusivity and collaboration from another pillar of the strategy, as the IUCN will seek to translate its diversity, incorporating the voices of indigenous communities and youth, behind a single shared vision.

In addition to addressing delegates at the forum, Al Mubarak held meetings with Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen Al-Fadley, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia, and Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment of Egypt.

The regional conservation forum in
Riyadh is attracting serious interest from UAE-based IUCN members with representatives of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, and the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund in attendance.

Source: Emirates News Agency