As awareness of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species continues to grow, so does the demand for clear guidelines on how to use the Red List Categories and Criteria.

The First World Conservation Congress in Montreal in 1996 adopted a resolution calling for the development of coherent guidelines on the application of Red List Categories at regional levels, which refers to any subglobal area such as continent, country, state, or province.

This led to the formation of the Regional Application Working Group (RAWG) under the auspices of the SSC Red List Programme. Membership of the RAWG included people with technical experience in the development of the IUCN Red List Criteria, as well as those with practical experience of producing Red Lists at regional levels. The group has consulted many different regional and national groups, participated in regional Red List assessment workshops, published draft versions of the guidelines, and undertaken a a process of ongoing modification and improvement to the earlier drafts.

The guidelines have been published by SSC/IUCN as an A5 booklet, in English, French, and Spanish, and are available here in PDF.