2025 IUCN Congress in Abu Dhabi sets ambitious agenda for global conservation and indigenous rights

A herd of elephants (Photo by Bernd 📷 Dittrich on Unsplash)

ABU DHABI — The 2025 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Congress drew a historic crowd of over 10,000 participants, comprising both in-person and online attendees, marking the first global summit to convene Indigenous Peoples and environmental leaders at this scale.

Over a thousand events unfolded during the week-long conference, drawing government officials, activists, scientists, and business leaders to chart a roadmap for conservation and sustainable development that stretches decades into the future.

The Congress marked a watershed moment with the unanimous approval of a 20-year Strategic Vision and a new four-year program, designed to guide the global environmental movement through a critical era of climate and biodiversity crises.

Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak was re-elected as IUCN President, a testament to her leadership during turbulent times, alongside a slate of newly chosen commissioners and council members.

In her keynote, Al Mubarak urged collective action: “Ours is not an easy task, but it is an essential one: to bridge divides — between science and policy, between climate and biodiversity, between people and the planet itself. To remind the world that nature is not only a victim of our excesses, but a powerful ally in our survival… Let us leave Abu Dhabi with the confidence that what unites us is far greater than what divides us — our shared belief in the resilience of life itself.”

IUCN Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar echoed these sentiments at the Congress’s close. “This Congress has been a testament to the power of collaboration, teamwork and commitment… From Abu Dhabi, we send a clear and united message. We are one Union determined to turn the tide. Let us leave this Congress with renewed hope and determination — to stand for life, to act for nature, and to build a future where people and planet thrive together.”

Photo by Marek Okon on Unsplash

With just five years remaining until the crucial 2030 deadline, Congress issued a clarion call for heightened ambition to meet the goals established by the Global Biodiversity Framework, the Paris Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Delegates emphasized the urgent need to capitalize on the momentum toward strengthening cooperation among international environmental agreements and to spur bold action at the upcoming UN climate summit, COP30, in Belém, Brazil.

Among the 148 resolutions approved by IUCN Members were a groundbreaking policy on the role of synthetic biology in conservation, a motion to classify ecocide as an international crime, and initiatives promoting stronger governance and social inclusion.

The event also debuted the Abu Dhabi Call to Action. This manifesto calls for immediate action across five strategic pillars: prioritizing nature at the heart of human well-being, strengthening multilateralism, ensuring justice and inclusion, promoting innovation, and mobilizing funding for both nature and climate initiatives. The Call to Action stands as a unifying beacon for governments and civil society alike to forge a just, resilient, and nature-positive future.

The Congress welcomed more than 100 new members to the global environmental coalition, including six nations — Armenia, Tajikistan, the Marshall Islands, Gabon, Tuvalu, and Zimbabwe — expanding the reach and diversity of the Union.

This pivotal gathering in Abu Dhabi highlights the growing recognition that protecting the natural world and honoring Indigenous knowledge are inextricably linked in the fight against global environmental collapse.