The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) have endorsed Razan Al Mubarak for President of the IUCN. This is the first time that either organization has endorsed a candidate for the IUCN Presidency. 

In the endorsement, the AZA stated: 

“We need a leader who offers skilled management and a courageous, strategic vision. Someone who will not just sail the IUCN ship, but set it to a better course. We believe Razan Al Mubarak’s 20-plus years of experience in government, sustainability, citizen engagement and philanthropy make her that candidate.

If elected, she will be only the second woman to lead the IUCN in its 72-year history. And importantly, the fact that she is the mother to a young daughter will make her a more influential leader, more relatable, and more able to inspire conservation’s next-generation. These characteristics are particularly critical for the person who will lead IUCN at this crucial moment.”

In its endorsement, WAZA said: 

“WAZA is confident that Razan Al Mubarak will be an outstanding leader as IUCN President and will play a pivotal role in leading the IUCN in the critical decade that lies ahead for conservation. WAZA believes that Ms Al Mubarak represents a much-needed new style of leadership for global conservation, and will be able to inspire, empower and unite people in this role.”

Founded in 1924, AZA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, animal welfare, education, science, and recreation. AZA is the accrediting body for the top zoos and aquariums in the United States and 12 other countries.

Since 1935, the goal of WAZA has been to guide, encourage and support the zoos, aquariums and like‑minded organisations of the world in animal care and welfare, environmental education and global conservation. WAZA is the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, zoos and aquariums, dedicated to the care and conservation of animals and their habitats around the world. The membership consists of nearly 400 leading institutions and organisations around the world, and this number continues to grow.

Read more about AZA’s endorsement here and WAZA’s endorsement here.

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 12 February 2020 — The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced yesterday that Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, has been chosen as one of two candidates who will stand for election of President of the Union.

The selection of the two candidates who will stand for the presidential election was made at a meeting of the IUCN Governing Council in Gland, Switzerland. The election process will take place in June 2020 in Marseille, France, at the IUCN’s World Conservation Congress 2020. The World Conservation Congress is an event that is held once every four years when all 1,400 member organizations convene, in part, to vote on its Governing Council, including the post of President, which also has a four-year term.

The IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. The IUCN consists of 1,400 member organizations, including states, government agencies and NGOs from across 160 countries. The Union is governed from Switzerland by a 40-member elected Council, which is led by a President who is responsible for implementing the overall vision, mission and strategy of the IUCN.

If Al Mubarak is elected, she will be only the second woman to lead the IUCN in its 72-year history. She would also be the first president from the Arab world since 1978.

Al Mubarak was selected as a final candidate for the Presidency based on her long career and impact in conservation and environmental management in both the public and private sectors. The announcement also speaks to the global recognition of the UAE's leadership in nature conservation and sustainable development worldwide.