ABU DHABI: The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will host the fifth SSC Leaders’ Meeting in Abu Dhabi from 25th to 28th October 2024. The event will bring together 300 participants, including leaders and experts in species conservation.

The meeting, held every four years, aims to leverage SSC Groups’ expertise, promote knowledge-sharing, and advance species conservation efforts. Over 120 sessions are planned, reflecting the Species Conservation Cycle: Assess, Plan, and Act. The agenda includes more than 20 plenary sessions, workshops, and panel discussions.

IUCN President, Razan Khalifah Al Mubarak, expressed pride in Abu Dhabi’s continued role as the host of this key conservation meeting, bringing together experts dedicated to species conservation. Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, EAD Secretary-General, highlighted the importance of these meetings in shaping global species conservation strategies.

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rof. Jon Paul Rodríguez, SSC Chair, emphasised the significance of the event as an inspiring and transformative experience for SSC leaders. The meeting will also facilitate knowledge exchange between SSC leaders and local institutions on species conservation challenges.

During the previous SSC Leaders Meeting, held in Abu Dhabi in 2019, IUCN issued an urgent call emphasising conservation action for species as a shared responsibility: The Abu Dhabi Call for Global Species Conservation Action was a message to the world’s governments to take emergency measures to save those species most at risk of extinction. As a result, in 2023 IUCN launched the Global Species Action Plan.

The SSC, the world’s largest volunteer conservation network, plays a crucial role in assessing the status of species, with the Red List of Threatened Species serving as a global benchmark for biodiversity assessments. The meeting continues EAD’s tradition of hosting SSC Leaders’ Meetings since 2008.

Source: Emirates News Agency