UAE to Host World's Largest IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025

Tags: Environment Summits International News

The next International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress will be held from 9 to 15 October 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

An overview of the news

• The United Arab Emirates was selected as the host country based on a rigorous evaluation process of its candidature.

• The United Arab Emirates has a long-standing collaboration with IUCN, with seven IUCN Member organizations and the National Committee based there.

• The country is home to 50 scientific and policy experts who are members of IUCN Commissions.

• The selection of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) as the venue was supported by a broad range of governmental authorities and civil society organizations.

About IUCN World Conservation Congress

• The IUCN Congress is the world's largest conservation event, held every four years.

• The Congress brings together leaders from government, civil society, Indigenous peoples' organizations, business, and academia.

• Its purpose is to determine the world's most pressing environmental and development challenges and develop actions to address them.

• The Congress will focus on delivering the Global Biodiversity Framework adopted by over 190 countries in December.

• The Framework includes targets to enhance the conservation of ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity.

Previous IUCN World Conservation Congress

• The previous IUCN World Conservation Congress was held in 2021 in Marseille, France.

• It had almost 6,000 people attending on-site and over 3,500 participants online.

• During the congress, 148 resolutions and recommendations were adopted, including calls to protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025 and halt deep-sea mining across the oceans.

• The global community was urged to adopt an ambitious One Health approach.

• The IUCN Climate Crisis Commission was established during the congress.

About International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

• It is an international organization that works towards the conservation and sustainable use of nature and natural resources.

• It was established in 1948 and is the world's largest and most diverse environmental network. 

• It brings together governments, non-governmental organizations, scientists, and experts from around the world.

• The primary mission of the IUCN is to encourage, and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature.

• It strives to promote the sustainable use of natural resources and support actions that tackle pressing environmental challenges.