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The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. Founded in 1948, its headquarters is located in Gland, Switzerland. The IUCN brings together 82 states, 109 government agencies, close to 800 NGOs and experts and scientists from countries around the world.
Mission IUCN's mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. The Union has three pillars: its member organizations, its 6 scientific commissions and its professional secretariat. IUCN Members The Union unites both States and non-governmental organizations. They set the policies of the Union, define its global programme of work and elect its Council (comparable to a company board) at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. Member organizations organize themselves into National and Regional Committees. The IUCN Commissions There are six Commissions that assess the state of the world’s natural resources and provide the Union with sound know-how and policy advice on conservation issues: The IUCN Secretariat The members and commissions work together with a professional secretariat: over 1,100 people in 52 different countries. Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw is the current Acting Director General, following the appointment of Director General Achim Steiner as Executive Director of UNEP. In September 2006 Ms. Julia Marton-Lefèvre - a global expert and leader in development and conservation - was appointed Director General. She will take up her position on 1 January 2007. Protected Area Management Categories The World Commission on Protected Areas defines categories for Protected Area Management: An area of land or sea possessing some outstanding or representative ecosystems, geological or physiological features and/or species, available primarily for scientific research or environmental monitoring. A large area of unmodified or slightly modified land, and/or sea, retaining its natural character and influence, without permanent or significant habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural condition. A natural area of land and/or sea, designated to:
An area containing one, or more, specific natural or natural/cultural feature which is of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative or aesthetic qualities or cultural significance. An area of land or sea subject to active intervention for management purposes so as to ensure the maintenance of habitats and/or to meet the requirements of specific species. An area of land, with coast and sea as appropriate, where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character with significant aesthetic, ecological, or cultural value, and often with high biological diversity. Safeguarding the integrity of this traditional interaction is vital to the protection, maintenance, and evolution of such an area. An area containing predominantly unmodified natural systems, managed to ensure long term protection and maintenance of biological diversity, while providing at the same time a sustainable flow of natural products and services to meet community needs. See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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