The International Union for Conservation of Nature, is the largest global conservation network, with more than 1,400 Member organizations, 900 staff, and over 17,000 volunteer experts in 170 countries.

Formed in 1948, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has since evolved to become the world’s largest and most diverse environmental membership union, which brings people together to develop solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental and development challenges—from threatened species and habitats, to climate change and food security.

Today, IUCN is the world’s global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. 

IUCN Members 

IUCN Members are a diverse group of organizations from 170 different countries. The membership is uniquely comprised of States, government agencies, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and indigenous peoples’ organizations who share a vision for a just world that values and conserves nature.

IUCN Commissions

IUCN’s Commissions unite more than 16,000 scientists and experts to provide the organization and its Members with knowledge and policy advice to drive conservation and sustainable development across the planet. Experts are organized into seven Commissions dedicated to species survival, the climate crisis, environmental law, protected areas, social and economic policy, ecosystem management, and education and communication. 

Governance

The Members’ Assembly, held every four years as part of the IUCN World Conservation Congress, is the union’s highest decision-making body. In between sessions of the congress, the Council, which is elected by IUCN Members acts as the principal governing body. Headquartered in Gland, Switzerland, the IUCN Secretariat comprises over 900 staff in more than 50 countries. 

​For more information, visit IUCN’s website at: www.iucn.org