The IUCN World Conservation Congress concluded today in Abu Dhabi after a week of high-level deliberations that shaped a renewed global conservation agenda. Gathering more than 10,000 delegates from governments, NGOs, Indigenous communities, and research institutions, the congress adopted landmark resolutions to address biodiversity loss, climate threats, and environmental crime.
IUCN Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar urged collective action, stating, “With over a million species at risk, these resolutions are not just commitments, they are a call for global solidarity to protect our shared planet.”
Key outcomes included Motion 108, which passed with over 90 percent support and calls for global guidelines to regulate the capture and trade of wild animals in the pet industry, a practice that removes millions of species from the wild each year. Motion 87 established a framework for the responsible use of synthetic biology in conservation, balancing innovation with ethical and scientific safeguards.
For the first time, IUCN members also adopted Motion 42 on fossil fuel supply-side measures, calling for guidance on a just phaseout of coal, oil, and gas, supported by WWF and the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.The congress unveiled the Abu Dhabi Call to Action, outlining IUCN’s 20-year vision and four-year program centered on climate resilience, biodiversity recovery, and nature-positive innovation. Zimbabwe’s reinstatement as an IUCN state member symbolized renewed national commitment to conservation.
The IUCN World Heritage Outlook 2025 revealed that only 57 percent of natural World Heritage sites now have a positive conservation outlook, down from 62 percent in 2020, as climate change, invasive species, and diseases intensify.Delegates also strengthened cooperation against environmental crimes, including illegal logging, mining, and wildlife trafficking, and endorsed the One Health approach linking human, animal, and ecosystem health.
The first-ever World Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nature underscored IUCN’s growing focus on Indigenous leadership and equitable conservation partnerships.Dr. John G. Robinson was named an IUCN honorary member for over four decades of global conservation leadership and pioneering work on sustainable wildlife use. As countries prepare for COP30 and upcoming biodiversity summits, the Abu Dhabi congress reaffirmed multilateralism and global cooperation as vital to addressing the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
