IUCN - News

Biodiversity and water: two of a kind

2013-05-22

Today we celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity. Its theme, Water and Biodiversity, coincides with the designation of 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation and highlights the indispensible role of nature in our water security and the sustainable development of our planet.

Conserving the Diversity of Life - International Day for Biological Diversity

2013-05-22

May 22nd has been declared the International Day for Biological Diversity to highlight why we need to stop the biodiversity loss if we were to sustain life on Earth

Scientific Body of CBD concludes its 16th session

2012-05-09

On 5 May 2012, SBSTTA concluded its 16th meeting with the adoption of eight recommendations for COP11 after an intense week of negotiations.

Mysteries of the Big Blue

2012-01-19

Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing opened for signature

2011-02-11

On 2 February 2011, the “Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity” was opened for signature at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

IUCN welcomes ‘Forests 2011’ - International Year of Forests

2011-01-03

The world’s forests are essential to life in all its diversity and to attaining humanity’s biggest goals such as reducing poverty, curbing climate change and achieving sustainable development. Throughout 2011 IUCN will work towards making sure that forests deliver their maximum potential for human well-being and biodiversity conservation.

Deadline Life – Nagoya defines future for life on earth

2010-10-29

Governments meeting at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP10) have approved a step change for biodiversity: a new Strategic Plan for the next ten years to reduce the current pressures on the planet’s biodiversity and take urgent action to save and restore nature; an agreed new protocol on access and benefit sharing; and have pledged some serious new resources to bring the agreements to life.

SOS – A new call on businesses to respond to extinction crisis

2010-10-28

The Global Environment Facility, the World Bank, and IUCN today announced they had established the Save Our Species (SOS) initiative with more than $US10 million in financing commitments and called on businesses to help build the biggest global species conservation fund by 2015.

Nature’s backbone at risk

2010-10-27

The most comprehensive assessment of the world’s vertebrates confirms an extinction crisis with one-fifth of species threatened. However, the situation would be worse were it not for current global conservation efforts, according to a study launched today at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD, in Nagoya, Japan.

Invasive species and climate change form a ‘deadly duo’, warn top scientists

2010-10-22

Two of the greatest threats to the natural world - invasive species and climate change – when combined, not only have devastating impacts on the environment but can also cost countries ten per cent of their Gross Domestic Product. In a report, released this week in Nagoya, Japan, scientists are urging countries to take immediate action against the ‘deadly duo’.

UICN: vale la pena ahorrar, invertir en la naturaleza

2010-10-20

La importancia económica de la riqueza natural del mundo aparece firme en el radar político como resultado de una evaluación internacional que muestra el enorme valor económico de los bosques, el agua dulce, los suelos y los arrecifes de coral, así como los costos sociales y económicos que resultan de su pérdida. Esta es la conclusión del informe titulado La Economía de los Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad (TEEB por sus siglas en inglés), dado a conocer el día de hoy por el líder del estudio TEEB, Pavan Sukhdev.

Mobilizing society to support biodiversity

2010-10-20

As Countdown 2010 initiative closes, local coordinated actions show way to solving the global biodiversity crisis.

Protect Planet Ocean Now

2010-10-19

With only one per cent of the world’s oceans under protection, countries are far behind the 10 per cent target promised for 2010. A greater political will and a change in the way we manage our marine capital are needed now to preserve the Earth’s oceans for generations to come.

Businesses on board – for biodiversity

2010-10-18

Finding ways for businesses to become more involved in helping to halt and reverse the current loss of biodiversity will be the main focus of the International Business and Ecosystems Dialogue, which will take place on Tuesday 26th Oc tober in Nagoya, Japan. The dialogue coincides with the 10th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya, which will set targets for the next ten years to reduce the global rate of biodiversity loss.

Protect nature – and let it protect us!

2010-10-18

Protected areas are one of the most effective tools for conserving biodiversity and offer natural solutions to some of today’s major challenges: water quality and shortages, climate change, natural disasters, health and sustainable livelihoods. But will those taking part in the meeting in Nagoya recognize their value and the urgent need to increase most needed investments in them?

Cash now, save life tomorrow, says IUCN

2010-09-21

As world leaders gather in New York for tomorrow’s first ever United Nations high level event on the extinction crisis, ahead of the UN General Assembly, IUCN urges governments to put up the cash that will allow the ever increasing rate of species extinction to be slowed and eventually reversed.

Building bridges to tackle urban water challenges

2010-09-21

The growing problem of how to provide clean water for an expanding urban population is one of the topics under discussion at the IWA World Water Congress in Montreal, which takes place from 19 to 24 September in Montreal, Canada. Around 3000 water experts from around the world will attend the conference, hoping to find the best ways of dealing with increasing demands placed on water resources.

Mark Smith, Head of IUCN's Water Programme, explains more.

Environment and gender equality: the keys to achieving Millennium Development Goals

2010-09-20

Achieving gender equality is fundamental to sustainable development and to attaining the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including the eradication of poverty and hunger. This is expected to be one of the major conclusions of world leaders and development experts at the 2010 Summit on the Millennium Development Goals, to be held this week at the UN Headquarters in New York.

What lies ahead

2010-09-06

Dr Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, visited IUCN headquarters last Friday to talk about upcoming events related to the Convention: the UN General Assembly special high-level session on biodiversity which takes place on 22 September in New York and the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties in Nagoya, Japan in October.

Access and Benefit Sharing: negotiations to resume in September

2010-07-21

CBD Parties agree to meet before Nagoya to “finalize” draft Protocol on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing (ABS).

Another week of the Resumed Ninth Meeting of the Working Group on Access and Benefit sharing of the Convention on Biological Diversity is over and even though the general spirit among the negotiators in Montreal has been positive, the outcome of the talks is mixed.