IUCN National Committee UK

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The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organisations. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,400 Member organisations and the input of more than 18,000 experts. This diversity and vast expertise makes IUCN the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. IUCN seeks ‘a just world that values and conserves nature’ as its vision.

The IUCN National Committee for the United Kingdom (NCUK) supports an active, informed and expanding IUCN Member base, contributing to improved biodiversity outcomes for the UK’s land and sea, including its Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and elsewhere. By encouraging co-operation among all IUCN Members, we facilitate their contribution to the programme and governance of IUCN and the sharing of knowledge, experience, policy and practice in the IUCN community. 

Coming soon:

‘Demystifying the IUCN Congress’

Ever wondered why so many people from across the conservation sector and beyond are gathering in Abu Dhabi and online for the World Conservation Congress this October? What difference will it really make? And if you’re one of them how do you make the most of being part of it? These are just some of the questions we’ll be putting to our panel of IUCN World Congress veterans – getting you all of the answers you need about this major milestone in the conservation calendar.

If you are expecting to attend this once every four years event, either in person or online, or just have questions about the IUCN Congress in Abu Dhabi this October this year, here is an opportunity for you to find some answers from people who have attended previous such events.

This webinar will be chaired by IUCN CEC member, Charlotte Smith, Director of Conservation Education at Chester Zoo. Charlotte is a key member of the IUCN National Committee UK’s Education and Communications Working Group.

We hope to have a representative of the IUCN Secretariat with us to answer questions, alongside Chris Mahon, the National Committee UK’s CEO and veteran of the last four Congresses.

Register for free HERE

Coming soon:

IUCN President in conversation with UK Members

In the run-up to the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi in October this year, the IUCN National Committee UK is very pleased to host the IUCN President, HE Ms Razan Khalifa Al Muburak, in a virtual meeting with IUCN UK Members on Wednesday 17^th September, from 10:30 to 11:30 AM (BST):

In addition to the invitation to ask questions of the President, Members will also have the opportunity to hear about:

• Razan’s vision for the Congress and the upcoming quadrennium, the new 20-Year Strategic Vision and IUCN’s role in the post-2030 agenda.

• Her commitment to strengthening Member value, collaboration across the Union, and impact on the ground.

• A call for input from UK Members on how IUCN can better support their work, particularly in shaping policy, amplifying science, and strengthening partnerships.

Following her introductory remarks, Razan is very much looking forward to engaging directly with Members in an open Q&A conversation, and this will be moderated by Stephen Grady, the Chair of the IUCN National Committee UK.

If you would like to familiarise yourself with the new draft IUCN 20-year Strategic Vision, it is available on the IUCN Engage platform HERE

To attend this special event, please register in good time via the Eventbrite link when it is published and the joining details will be sent to you subsequently.

The final report from the IUCN Regional Conservation Forum for Europe, North and Central Asia that was held in Bruges, Belgium in October 2024 is now available and well worth a read if you want to understand the IUCN regional perspective and the engagement of Members here.

New technical report published

The Protected Areas Working Group (PAWG), an expert working group for the IUCN National Committee UK (NCUK), has published a new technical report entitled ‘Statements of Compliance for UK protected areas and ‘other effective area-based conservation measures’: 2023 review’.

This new review updates the NCUK publication ‘Putting Nature on the Map’, with the current Statements of Compliance replacing those published in 2014, and uses the best publicly available data that PAWG members could find. 

It reflects changes since the original assessments were published in 2014 and the rationale for any changes in our assessments, in part driven by new guidance coming from the IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas. 

photo credit: Pamela Abbott

The role of PAWG is to provide independent strategic analysis and advice in support of the UK Government’s aspiration to protect 30% of the UK’s land and 30% of its seas by 2030, thus demonstrating international leadership in this area of conservation policy and practice. PAWG aims to support the UK Government and the devolved administrations in their application of the IUCN definitions and guidance on protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures. PAWG’s Statements of Compliance provide guidance to the UK Government and its agencies, and the devolved administrations, on which types of site should be incorporated within the 30% totals in order to conform with international standards.

It is the intention of the PAWG to revisit these assessments on a periodic basis, and we invite comments and the submission of data to inform subsequent revisions. We would welcome any data or evidence from you that would help us to refine our analyses. Please contact us through IUCNUK.PAWG@wwt.org.uk and view the PAWG page on this website