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Welcome to IUCN


A just world that values and conserves nature

FOUNDING CHAIR OF THE IUCN COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL LAW RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL AWARD
September 24, 2004
Dr Wolfgang Burhenne, founder and first chair of the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law, received the Knight Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Das Grosse Verdienstkreuz mit Stern des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) in recognition of his lifelong work and achievements in the field of environment and nature conservation policy and law. This high decoration was given to him by Mrs Bärbel Höhn, the Environment and Nature Conservation Minister of North Rhine Westphalia, acting on behalf of the President of the Federal Republic. The Minister recognized his pioneering work at the national level as the 'motor' of the Interparliamentary Working Centre (with members from the German federal and state parliaments, as well as German European parliamentarians), and at the international level as the initiator of a number of multilateral environmental instruments.
IUCN Environmental Law Programme

ESTÁN EN LÍNEA LAS MEMORIAS DEL TALLER SOBRE CORREDORES Y ENFOQUE ECOSISTÉMICO
September 24, 2004
Las Memorias son resultado de un taller en el que participaron más de 30 expertos de organizaciones sudamericanas, realizado en Quito (Ecuador), el pasado junio. En el evento, organizado por la Unión Mundial para la Naturaleza, UICN (Oficina Regional para América del Sur y la Comisión de Gestión de Ecosistemas), con el apoyo de Conservación Internacional, CI, y la DGCS (Italia), se presentó una diversa gama de proyectos e iniciativas que involucran a la mayoría de países de la región. Así, se intercambiaron experiencias y lecciones aprendidas sobre la aplicación del Enfoque Ecosistémico (EE) en el diseño y gestión de corredores biológicos y de conservación en América del Sur. Las memorias del taller incluyen el resumen de las presentaciones, de los trabajos en grupo; así como las conclusiones y recomendaciones generales, además de la presentación de los objetivos y la metodología.
Noticia completa // Oficina Regional de la UICN para América del Sur

JUDGING BEGINS FOR 2004 REUTERS-IUCN ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIA AWARDS
September 23, 2004
Regional jury members are taking on the awesome task of delving through 296 entries received from over 60 countries for this year's Reuters-IUCN Environmental Media Awards to select the six winners – representing Asia; English-speaking Africa and the Middle East; French-speaking Africa; Europe; Latin America; North America, Oceania, and the English-speaking Caribbean – who will vie for the US$5,000 global prize. The Awards are designed to promote excellence in environmental reporting worldwide and aim to foster a dialogue between journalists and environment and development experts that will encourage high quality reporting based on sound scientific data. A Global Master Jury chaired by Her Majesty Queen Noor, IUCN Patron, will name the winner at an Awards ceremony taking place on 18 November in Bangkok, Thailand during the 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress.
Reuters - IUCN Environmental Media Awards 2004 website // 3^rd IUCN World Conservation Congress

GLOBAL CONSERVATION BODY TO OFFER IMPARTIAL ADVICE AND SCIENTIFIC BACK-UP TO MAJOR WILDLIFE TRADE CONFERENCE
September 22, 2004
As the 166 member governments of CITES gather from 2-14 October in Bangkok , Thailand to tackle wildlife trade issues, IUCN – The World Conservation Union will once again be present to provide them with impartial scientific advice to guide their decisions. “Since helping to create CITES in 1973, IUCN has been closely involved in the development of the Convention, striving to strengthen the scientific basis of CITES decision-making and increase international collaboration on issues relating to species trade and biodiversity conservation,” says Dr Susan Mainka, Head of the IUCN delegation at the conference. In the months leading up to the conference, the IUCN Species Survival Commission and TRAFFIC, the joint wildlife trade monitoring programme of IUCN and WWF, produced the Analysis of Proposals to Amend the CITES Appendices. Produced for the fifth consecutive Conference of the Parties (CoP), this major document, focusing on species status, biology and trade information, provides the best available science which can help guide the Parties to the Convention as they make their decisions on the proposals.
Media Advisory // IUCN Position Paper // Posición de la UICN // IUCN Delegation Profile // IUCN at CoP13 // TRAFFIC website // CITES CoP13 website

INAUGURAL SEED AWARDS TRIGGER GROUNDSWELL OF GLOBAL RESPONSE
September 22, 2004
Over 260 new partnership proposals from sixty-six countries, representing 1,200 organizations, have been received in response to a call for submissions by the Supporting Environment and Development (Seed) Initiative under its biennial Seed Awards programme. The proposed ideas advance economic growth, social development and environmental stewardship in their countries. The scale of this response indicates the breadth of entrepreneurial and innovative activity dedicated to advancing sustainable development and reveals the types of creative partnerships taking action to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The Seed Initiative is designed to inspire and support promising locally-driven entrepreneurial partnerships for sustainable development and to generate knowledge about their experiences in order to aid policymakers and future partnerships. Partners in the Seed Initiative include IUCN—The World Conservation Union, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the Environment Ministries of Germany and Norway, and the United States Government.
Full news release // The Seed Initiative website

NEW ALLIES NEEDED TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY OF FRESHWATER FISH STOCKS IN EUROPE
September 21, 2004
Some ten million sport and recreational fishermen across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have a major role to play in ensuring the future of freshwater resources in this region, according to a new report produced by the IUCN Programme Office for Central Europe. The report, entitled “Freshwater Fisheries in Central & Eastern Europe: the Challenge of Sustainability” and compiled by authors from the European Sustainable Use Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), looks at the state of freshwater fisheries in the nineteen countries of the region, and recommends ways to move towards sustainable use of these resources. Freshwater fish is arguably the most threatened group of animals utilized by people, with up to one third of freshwater fish species threatened with extinction worldwide, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Full news release // Summary of the Report // Full Report // IUCN Programme Office for Central Europe // IUCN SSC European Sustainable Use Specialist Group

HONOURED FOR LIFETIME COMMITMENT TO MOUNTAIN CONSERVATION: PROFESSOR LAWRENCE HAMILTON
September 17, 2004
Prof. Lawrence Hamilton received the golden King Albert I Mountain Award for his outstanding contribution to the worldwide conservation of mountain areas. The Swiss-based King Albert I Memorial Foundation honoured Lawrence Hamilton for his lifelong support for creating and managing mountain protected areas and for setting up a world wide network of scientists and mountain conservationists. As leader of the Mountain Biome Theme of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, Prof. Hamilton has inspired the vision for establishing corridors of mountain protected areas passing through whole continents, transboundary peace parks, cloud forests conservation and best practice protected areas management. Recently, the University of Hawai'i also honoured Lawrence Hamilton with a medal and distinguished scientist award for his work for Tropical Mountain Cloud Forests, calling him the "Father of Cloud Forests".
IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas

¿CÓMO GESTIONAR RÍOS SIN AGUA?
September 16, 2004
¿Cómo pueden los gestores de cuenca gestionar agua cuando no la hay? Alrededor del 60% de los cursos de agua Mediterráneos llevan agua de manera temporal, o incluso están secos durante largos periodos de tiempo, respondiendo únicamente a lluvias torrenciales localizadas. En estas circunstancias los organismos de cuenca deben tratar con la gestión de las crecidas, deben asegurar agua durante periodos impredeciblemente largos de sequía, optimizar los recursos para promocionar el desarrollo sostenible de la cuenca y cumplir con las leyes ambientales y los acuerdos internacionales que buscan la protección de los ecosistemas existentes en la cuenca. El Centro de Cooperación del Mediterráneo de la UICN está organizando un taller de expertos sobre la provisión de caudales ambientales en los cursos de agua intermitentes y efímeros en el Mediterráneo, que tendrá lugar en Madrid el 18 de septiembre de 2004. En este encuentro participarán expertos de todo el mundo .
Noticia completa // UICN Centro de Cooperación del Mediterráneo // Water and Nature Initiative

NEW DIRECTORY OF INSTITUTIONS ACTIVE IN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
September 15, 2004
Knowing who to contact and where to find information on environmental law is critical for establishing and maintaining knowledge networks and for building capacity. In order to help meet this need, IUCN’s Environmental Law Centre (ELC) has cooperated with the International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL), an IUCN Member, to compile an international directory of institutions active in environmental law. This Directory is now available on the IUCN Environmental Law Programme website, and will be updated and maintained by the IUCN ELC. All institutions that are active in the area are invited to be included in the Directory and to keep their details up to date. The Directory is complemented by the CEL Members Portal, the IUCN-UNEP Judicial Portal and an extensive links page - all accessible through the IUCN ELP Website – along with the CEL Directory, which is made available to all CEL members in hard copy.
International Directory of Institutions Active in Environmental Law // IUCN Environmental Law Programme

A SEA CHANGE FOR HUMPHEAD WRASSE?
September 14, 2004
At the Thirteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP13) next month, Parties will consider a proposal to include the Humphead Wrasse (Cheilinus undulates) in Appendix II. A distinctive coral reef fish which can grow to over two metres in length, the Humphead Wrasse is naturally rare and extremely vulnerable to overexploitation. Demand for this species already is high and expected to increase and, currently, illegal trade is difficult to control. There is evidence of targeted fishing of spawning aggregations, increasing the already high level of threat to this species, which has recently been reclassified from Vulnerable to Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. An Appendix II listing can complement and strengthen current national management and monitoring initiatives and provides a valuable tool in moving towards the sustainable management of the species. An IUCN/TRAFFIC/WWF briefing document on the Humphead Wrasse listing proposal is now available online.
Download briefing document // IUCN at CoP13 // TRAFFIC website // CITES CoP13 website // IUCN’s ‘Shatter the myth’ briefing paper

DIALOGUE MOVES TO COMMON LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR SHARED RIVER BASINS IN MESOAMERICA
September 14, 2004
Agreement on appropriate legal frameworks and common tools for the management of water and ecosystems emerged from a tri-country dialogue in Central America, held on 23 and 24 August in Guatemala. High-level government officials and NGO representatives from El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico met in Guatemala City to discuss appropriate legal frameworks that allows more effective transboundary cooperation on watershed and natural resource management. “A very extensive exchange of knowledge took place thanks to the presence of representatives from the ministries of Environment, Agriculture and Foreign Relations in El Salvador; from the Agriculture and Environment ministries and the National Forest Institute, in Guatemala; and from the chancelleries and Office of the Vice-president, along with nongovernmental sectors,” said Mr. Alejandro Jiménez of IUCN Mesoamerica.
Full story // Noticia Completa // IUCN Regional Office for Mesoamerica // Water and Nature Initiative // IUCN Environmental Law Programme

ZOOM ON THE INVASIVES!
September 13, 2004
IUCN is launching its first-ever photo competition to raise awareness about the impact of alien invasive species on native animals and plants, ecosystems and people’s livelihoods. Feral pigs, crazy ants, water hyacinths, zebra mussels, brushtail possums and other ‘invaders’ will be in the spotlight because of the competition, made possible thanks to the generous support of Fujifilm. Professional and amateur photographers are invited to submit their photos to the competition until 22 October 2004 . The winner will receive a cash prize of US$ 1’000 while the ten best photos will be displayed at the upcoming 3 rd IUCN World Conservation Congress, which will look in particular at ways of coping with alien invasive species through its “Biodiversity Loss and Species Extinction - Managing risk in a changing world” theme.
Competition website // 3^rd IUCN World Conservation Congress // “Biodiversity Loss and Species Extinction - Managing risk in a changing world” theme // 100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Species booklet // Fujifilm website

FROM DEATH ZONE TO LIFELINE: IRON CURTAIN BECOMES GREEN BELT
September 10, 2004
Today the European Green Belt was launched to create a single ecological corridor out of the ‘rubble’ of the former Iron Curtain at a meeting of European conservationists at the Ferto-Hanság National Park. It is hoped that the Green Belt will become an icon for nature conservation and sustainable development in Europe. In his opening address to the three-day meeting of experts from across Europe, Professor Hartmut Vogtmann, President of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) called the Green Belt initiative “a historic chance with broad importance both for nature conservation and for people in a Europe growing together”. Experts from the 22 countries that border the Green Belt agreed that this project has an important role to play in the future of trans-boundary cooperation. Tamas Marghescu, IUCN Regional Director for Europe, said of the initiative, “the Green Belt will connect the protected areas along the former Iron Curtain like pearls along a string to create a single lifeline for biodiversity running the entire length of Europe. This will be the backbone of an ecological network that allows for the better adaptation of nature to future climate change.”
Full news release // IUCN Regional Office for Europe website // European Green Belt // German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN)

GOVERNMENTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND NORWAY JOIN
“THE SEED INITIATIVE”
September 9, 2004
The governments of the United States of America and Norway have joined the Supporting Entrepreneurs for Environment and Development (Seed) Initiative. The Seed Initiative, led by IUCN–The World Conservation Union, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, encourages community level partnership action in support of the internationally agreed development goals, including those the contained in the Millennium Declaration and outcomes from the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Seed has three objectives. The first is to recognize innovative nascent partnerships that promise to implement these international goals through a biennial award programme. The second is to provide individually-targeted support services to selected Seed honorees, helping them to establish their new partnerships and to showcase emerging partnerships on the web (www.seedinit.org). The third is to capture lessons-learned and create best practice resources. These resources will include a wide variety of support information for other entrepreneurs active in development partnerships.
Full news release // The Seed Initiative website

IUCN WELCOMES THE ESTABLISHEMENT OF A SECOND MARINE RESERVE IN VIETNAM
September 8, 2004
Over 160 coral reefs off the coast of the Vietnamese province Quang Nam , harbouring more than 200 fish, coral and reptile species, are now protected. The new Cu Lao Cham Marine Reserve, set up with assistance from the Government of Denmark, is the second marine protected area (MPA) in Vietnam . “We welcome the establishment of this new marine reserve, protecting an important part of our marine biodiversity,” says Dr Nguyen Minh Thong, IUCN Vietnam Country Representative. IUCN was involved in the establishment of the country’s first MPA – Hon Mun Marine Protected Area, a pilot project working to re-establish a healthy fishery for future generations, and preserve coral reefs and pristine turquoise water for sustainable tourism. “Cu Lao Cham Marine Reserve has taken many lessons from Hon Mun,” says Dr Thong. The establishment of Cu Lao Cham also marks a positive trend as Vietnam plans to establish a total of 15 MPAs over the next years.
Full story // IUCN’s involvement in Hon Mun MPA // IUCN Programme on Protected Areas // IUCN Global Marine Programme

IUCN/SSC AND TRAFFIC REVIEW OF CITES PROPOSALS NOW AVAILABLE IN FRENCH AND SPANISH
September 7, 2004
The recently completed technical reviews of all the proposals submitted to change the listing of plant and animal species on the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Appendices are now available in French Analyses UICN/TRAFFIC des propositions d’amendement aux Annexes de la CITES and Spanish Análisis de las Propuestas de Enmienda a los Apéndices de CITES de UICN/TRAFFIC. Publication of The Analyses of Proposals to amend the CITES Appendices (Summary) by the IUCN’s Wildlife Trade Programme and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is the culmination of three months’ intensive consultation involving hundreds of experts around the world. The reviews allow the Parties to CITES to form their positions on the proposals based on the best and most up to date scientific information. These proposals are to be considered by the CITES member countries when they meet for the 13 th Conference of the Parties (CoP13) in Bangkok , Thailand 2-14 October this year.
Full story // Analyses UICN/TRAFFIC des propositions d’amendement aux Annexes de la CITES // Análisis de las Propuestas de Enmienda a los Apéndices de CITES de UICN/TRAFFIC // IUCN Species Survival Commission // CoP13 Homepage

TAKING COMMUNITIES ON BOARD IN FIGHT AGAINST DESERTIFICATION
September 6, 2004
In West Africa, desertification threatens the livelihoods of more than 250 million people, while 73% of the continent’s land surface is exposed to this phenomenon. IUCN became involved in the fight against desertification almost 20 years ago, primarily through its Sahel Programme. The 1990s saw the coming into force of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD), which triggered several processes at national and regional levels. Yet, a decade after the adoption of the CCD, it is increasingly apparent that the social dimension of desertification and its consequences, especially droughts, have been overlooked in the development of various environmental programmes. Responding to this challenge, the IUCN Regional Office for Western Africa started a project called “Enhancing the Social Sustainability in Desertification Control” (REDUSO), supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Today, after four years of intensive research and field tests in seven West African countries, the project releases its ‘Manual for Reflection’. The Manual is targeted at the broader community – from field officers to decision makers – involved in actions to combat desertification, and seeks to bridge the gap between technical and participatory approaches to benefit both people and nature.
Manual for Reflection in French // Manual for Reflection in English // IUCN Regional Office for West Africa // German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

ADVANCING INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION - THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN INVERTEBRATE SPECIALIST GROUP
September 3, 2004
The Southern African Invertebrate Specialist Group (SAISG) was the first regionally-based invertebrate Specialist Group to be created, to help overcome the limited coverage of invertebrates in the existing SSC Specialist Groups. Since its relatively recent establishment in 2001, this dynamic Group of 30 members has thrived and already plays a major role in invertebrate conservation in the region. It also has an international remit, with strong links to the Invertebrate Committee of the IUCN/SSC and the new international initiative on invertebrate conservation, the ‘Expanding the Ark Coalition.’ Geographically, the SAISG has tentacles throughout southern Africa . It includes three of the 33 global hotspots for invertebrates (Cape Floral Region, Succulent Karoo and Maputaland) and reaches up to East Africa . It also encompasses the Indian Ocean Islands , which are a particular cause for invertebrate conservation concern. They are under considerable human pressure and there was widespread dieback of the coral reefs following a mass bleaching event in 1998.
The Southern African Invertebrate Specialist Groups // IUCN Species Survival Commission // Other Specialist Group profiles

RESTORATION AFOOT FOR ANCIENT INCA TRAILS
September 2, 2004
The IUCN Office for South America is heading an initiative to restore and revitalize sections of the Gran Ruta Inca. The project aims to provide a unique resource for tourism and to promote the sustainable development of the high Andean corridor. Spanning Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile and Colombia, the proposed network of protected areas will preserve the cultural and natural heritage of the ancient empire and sustain the livelihoods of Andean communities. These rural communities, which mainly consist of indigenous peoples living in extreme poverty, may gain the most from the Gran Ruta Inca revitalization effort, particularly if tourists seek less-traveled alternatives to the well-trodden Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. A revitalized route may also serve to reconnect villages for the exchange of potato seeds (local farmers grow over 3,000 different varieties) and reconnect the sacred geography that is at the center of Andean tradition. The latest feature by John Roach, published in the National Geographic News, tells more about the project.
Full story by National Geographic News // About Gran Ruta Inca // IUCN Regional Office for South America // IUCN Programme on Protected Areas

FOR PLANTS AND PEOPLE
September 1, 2004
By Mark Rowe
Is environmental protection a luxury for poor countries? Conventional wisdom has argued “get rich first, clean up later”. Forests and other ecosystems, according to this argument, will only get the protection they need when poverty has been alleviated and higher levels of economic development attained. Increasingly, this notion is being seen as untrue. Thinking in development and conservation circles has shifted significantly in recent years. Instead of setting environmentalists and development agencies against one another, there is now widespread recognition that social, economic and environmental issues are inter-related. If used sustainably, forests, wetlands and other natural systems can act as a safety net against destitution and even raise people permanently above the poverty line.
Full story // IUCN Forest Conservation Programme // 3^rd IUCN World Conservation Congress