Reflections from IUCN’s 8th World Conservation Congress

Introduction

In mid-October 2025, nearly 10,000 participants from over 189 countries convened at the 8^th IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates). Over the course of the week, governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations, scientists, and youth sought to arrest the ongoing decline of nature by sharing solutions, celebrating efforts, adopting policies, and electing leadership and setting priorities for conservation around the world for the next 20 years. In addition to a Forum and Exhibition with events showcasing research and innovation, the IUCN Members’ Assembly –  IUCN’s highest decision-making body – elected the Union’s leadership for the next four years, adopted 140+ policy motions including on “Recognizing and reporting ecological corridors”, and also approved the Abu Dhabi Call to Actionand IUCN’s 20-year Strategic Vision and 2026-2029 Programme focused on halting and reversing the compounding crises facing the planet like climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

Leadership and members of the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group (CCSG) were present in Abu Dhabi to foster the mainstreaming of connectivity conservation through science, policy, and practice among experts and institutions around the world. Furthermore, working together at IUCN, this growing community has advanced commitments to increasing conservation of ecological corridors and networks while combating habitat fragmentation.

CCSG and staff from its secretariat at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC) – along with collaborating organizations and networks of experts and partners – was active in promoting connectivity and large-scale conservation for places and species throughout the Congress. With just five years left until the 2030 deadline to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this article provides insights into some of the highlights, discussions, contributions, and outcomes of the WCC intended to drive immediate and bold actions across all lands, waters, and sectors of society to avert ecosystem collapse and secure the health and well-being of all life on Earth.

Sharing solutions

CCSG Chair, Gary Tabor, presents at the event ” Mitigation Hierarchy for planning infrastructure in protected areas: lessons from key cases” (Courtesy CLLC)

Many WCC attendees spent time visiting, presenting, and participating at more than 1,000 thematic Forum Events and Exhibition Pavilions gaining first-hand accounts and engaging in discussions about leading science, policy, practice, and innovation on a broad range of conservation issues. Contributing toward the overall WCC theme “Powering transformative conservation”, CLLC and partners organized and participated in a diversity of these events promoting accomplishments over the last four years and charting future efforts. These included:

• “Transboundary Conservation Around the World: Ecologically and Culturally Well-connected Landscapes and Seascapes” bringing participants together in a workshop setting to identify challenges, opportunities, and priorities for connectivity conservation across international boundaries;
• “Increasing Coordination of Conservation Activities Across Central Asia to Meet National and Global Goals” highlighting projects and leadership across the region, including species, protected areas, and community engagement efforts;
• In the Americas Pavilion, “Ecological Connectivity for Resilient Marine Protected and Conserved Areas” drew upon new science and case studies highlighting emerging technologies for better planning and management; “Ecological Corridors and Networks: Experiences and Innovations From Around the World” focused on best-practices for implementing the “well-connected” element of Target 3 for protected and conserved areas as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. “Sharing Stories on the Power and Practice of Very Large-Scale Conservation” engaged participants in hearing and discussing often unique but also common experiences in advancing some of the largest conservation initiatives on Earth; and
• To increase understanding of the impacts and opportunities for efforts across sectors, reinforcing the “Mitigation Hierarchy for Planning Infrastructure in Protected Areas” and progress toward “Wildlife Friendly Infrastructure in Asia: Safeguarding Whole Ecosystems Amid Rapid Development”

Celebrating efforts

Partners of the Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity tie a ribbon to symbolize their ongoing collaborations (Courtesy CLLC)

This WCC served as a milestone for new and ongoing efforts that are accelerating and scaling-up collaboration spanning institutions, geographies, and generations. They included:

• The High Level Event “Restoring Land and Ecosystems to Reconnect People and Nature for a More Resilient Future” launched the newest Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Ecological Connectivity and Land Restoration. Produced by a team led by CLLC and the secretariats of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the Report introduces the guiding principle of ‘Connect to restore; Restore to connect’ for the design, implementation, and monitoring of large-scale landscape conservation;
• Presentation of the now fully operational Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity (GPEC) bringing organizations together from around the world to strengthen collective and coherent action across landscapes and seascapes. With new members and interested partners in attendance, the event reflected how connectivity conservation is at the forefront of increasing cooperation and collaboration across stakeholders, sectors, and boundaries to achieve enduring conservation;
• A Youth Summit kicked-off a series of events over the course of the Congress focused on gathering and increasing contributions from young people around the world. CLLC’s Gabriel Oppler served on IUCN’s Youth Advisory Committee throughout the last four years and supported events at a dedicated Pavilion on “IUCN Commissions: Opportunities for Young Professionals” and “Pathways to Conservation Careers: Experiences from Across IUCN Member Organizations”; and
• The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) held its Awards Ceremony honoring 14 leaders for their service strengthening the work of WCPA and especially the establishment and management of protected and conserved areas around the world.

Adopting policies

A view of the Members’ Assembly as final text on motions is debated and voted on. (Courtesy CLLC)

Proposing, negotiating, and adopting motions is central to the IUCN Members’ Assembly advancing Resolutions and Recommendations that form IUCN’s official policy and actions over the four years between each WCC. Among the 144 motions adopted in Abu Dhabi, the following exemplify IUCN’s leadership for international conservation action on a diversity of crucial issues:

• Motion 041 “Developing a policy on geoengineering”;
• Motion 042 “Addressing the climate and biodiversity crises through fossil fuel supply-side measures and a just transition”;
• Motion 061 “Recognising the crime of ecocide to protect nature”;
• Motion 087 “IUCN policy on synthetic biology in relation to nature conservation”;
• Motion 107 “Scaling-up Indigenous leadership in the protection of nature and the sacred”;
• Motion 108 “Development of IUCN guidelines to effectively control the commercial pet trade in wildlife”;
• Motion 119 “Conservation of clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa, Neofelis diardi) (IUCN VU) as a top priority umbrella species for south and southeast Asia”;
• Motion 141 “Welcoming the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on climate change”;
• Motion 145 “Reaffirming IUCN’s commitment to multilateralism and global cooperation”;
• Motion 147 “Protecting ecosystems and riverine communities from the impacts of hydropower in the Lower Congo and globally”

Especially important to advancing connectivity conservation, CCSG and CLLC led the drafting, submission, and negotiation of the adopted Motion 127 “Recognizing and reporting ecological corridors”. This resolution is a further step toward strengthening global coordination and reporting for connectivity conservation. It calls on all of IUCN to increase efforts for standardizing recognition, reporting, and databases for ecological corridors, aligned with goals and targets of the KMGBF – especially Target 3 on “well-connected” systems of protected and conserved areas. Moreover, the resolution builds on, and seeks to strengthen, prior commitments and guidelines for ecological connectivity, while addressing existing gaps in measurement, governance, and financing.

In tandem, the 2021 Resolution 071 “Wildlife-friendly linear infrastructure” adopted by the 7^th World Conservation Congress remains in effect for the next four years. A growing number of efforts are implementing this first-ever IUCN policy addressing the environmental impacts of linear transport infrastructure (LTI) – like roads, railways, canals, power lines, fences, and pipelines. The CCSG is primed to work across the Union and with existing and new partners to further amplify and apply solutions for avoiding and mitigating fragmentation caused by LTI. This will especially focus the crucial need to foster more cross-sectoral collaboration to mainstream wildlife-friendly infrastructure in science, policy, and practice.

Electing leadership and setting priorities

HE Razan Al Mubarak, IUCN President, speaks at the Opening Ceremony. (Courtesy CLLC)

In support of existing commitments and implementing new and ongoing policy commitments, IUCN Members reached seminal decisions including the following:

• Election of the Union’s leadership team for the next four years, including re-election of Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak to a second term as IUCN President, new or re-election of Regional Councillors to the IUCN Council, and election or renewal of Chairs of IUCN’s seven expert Commissions;
• Adoption of mandates for the seven Commissions, including the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) that has as Objective 2. “Promoting and helping guide the design, management, governance and monitoring of well-connected [protected and conserved areas] PCAs to support the conservation of nature and deliver Nature-based Solutions to global challenges such as climate change, land degradation, food and water security, One Health and well-being;”
• Approval of IUCN’s 20-year Strategic Vision with a strengthened focus on conveying the inextricable links between people’s impact and dependence on nature to be delivered in four main ways: Scaling up, Transforming, Mobilising, and Resourcing.
• Adoption of the 2026-2029 IUCN Programme following two major imperatives to: 1) scale up inclusive and socially just conservation for land, freshwater and the ocean; and 2) assist this scaling-up by directly supporting transformations within key sectors that have a major negative impact on biodiversity: and
• Approval of the Abu Dhabi Call to Action concluding that:

From Abu Dhabi, we reaffirm our collective commitment to defending life on Earth. We are the voice of nature and we stand united – One Nature, One Humanity, One Future – a global movement of individuals, communities, organisations, and nations determined to turn the tide for a just, resilient and nature-positive world. Together and united in action, we will move from promises and commitments to action.

Yes, together we can – and together, we will!

Conclusion

The late Dr. Jane Goodall was honored by WCC participants at a dedicated memorial. (Courtesy CLLC)

Preparing for and attending this 8^th WCC provided an opportunity for the Specialist Group and secretariat at CLLC to collaborate more closely with long-time partners and friends, get acquainted with new colleagues and topics, and engage more deeply in efforts spanning IUCN. It also brought back memories of all the people that have devoted their time, expertise, and passion to IUCN over its nearly 80 years of existence to advance its mission together. In Abu Dhabi, the Union came together to take stock of accomplishments, setbacks, and priorities, while setting out ambitious plans to address international to local issues through scaled-up action and transformative change. CCSG is proud to be a part of  IUCN and will remain persistent in its pursuit of a world where nature and people thrive across connected, resilient landscapes and seascapes.

A view of the convention center in Abu Dhabi (Courtesy CLLC)

Mongolia’s Minister of Environment and Tourism, Bat-Erdene Bat-Ulzii, congratulates Andrea Meza Murillo, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), at the launch of the Global Land Outlook (GLO) Thematic Report on Ecological Connectivity and Land Restoration. (Courtesy CLLC)