Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), underscored the importance of adhering to the Abu Dhabi Call to Action and the key priorities set to face the pressing global challenges ahead, at the 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress.

The IUCN Congress brought nearly 10,000 participants from 189 countries to Abu Dhabi for a week of dialogue, learning, and collective decision-making. Throughout, Ms. Al Mubarak expressed her appreciation that the United Arab Emirates had the opportunity to host the Congress and that the resulting global statement now carries the name of the city where the Union met.

The Abu Dhabi Call to Action reflects months of preparation and intensive discussions held during the Congress. It acknowledges that the world is facing a convergence of accelerating challenges: biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, pollution, climate instability, and widening inequalities. With only a few years remaining to meet the ambitions of the Global Biodiversity Framework, the Paris Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals, Congress participants affirmed that greater unity, urgency, and cooperation are essential.

Drawing from the diverse perspectives of governments, Indigenous Peoples, civil society, scientists, youth, faith communities, and the private sector, the Call to Action sets out five shared priorities for global action:

1. Reaffirm nature as the foundation of human well-being, and protect, conserve, and restore land, freshwater, coastal, ocean, and polar ecosystems, while recognising and supporting those who steward them.
2. Strengthen multilateralism and cooperation, grounded in justice, accountability, and the rule of law, to meet environmental challenges with coherence and resolve.
3. Ensure justice, equity, and inclusion, by enabling meaningful participation across communities and generations and safeguarding environmental defenders.
4. Advance science, knowledge, and innovation, drawing on scientific, traditional, and Indigenous knowledge to inform effective and sustainable solutions.
5. Scale up and align resources for nature and climate action, including financial, technological, and human capacity, while eliminating harmful subsidies and incentivising nature-positive outcomes.

The Call to Action complements the decisions adopted at the Congress, including IUCN’s new 20-Year Strategic Vision, the 2026–2029 Programme, and 148 motions. Together, these commitments reflect the Union’s shared intention to turn ambition into measurable progress. Ms. Al Mubarak stated:

“The Abu Dhabi Call to Action stands as a reminder of what is possible when the global conservation community meets in a spirit of humility, listening, and cooperation. It carries the name of Abu Dhabi not as a claim of ownership, but as a reflection of the place where the world came together to reaffirm a common purpose: One Nature, One Humanity, One Future.”

Download the Abu Dhabi Call to Action

Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of IUCN, reflects on the Union’s achievements during her first term, highlights the development of IUCN’s first-ever 20-year strategy, and calls on Members to unite for nature, climate, and people ahead of the IUCN World Conservation Congress, which is taking place October 9 to 15 in Abu Dhabi, UAE:

“What makes IUCN unique is not only its history, but its people. As President, I have witnessed the energy and commitment of our Members—scientists, governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, and communities—coming together with a shared purpose.

I’ve seen this spirit in so many places: Washington, Kenya, Guatemala, Switzerland, and West Asia. Each moment reminded me of the power of our Union.

My leadership is grounded in the belief that conservation must be strategic, inclusive, and collaborative—integrating nature into climate action while empowering Indigenous Peoples, women, youth, and local communities to shape global solutions.

In my first term, we strengthened IUCN’s voice on the global stage, advanced Indigenous participation and youth leadership, improved governance and transparency, and expanded partnerships that bring new energy and resources to our Union.

Looking ahead, we have prepared, through broad consultation, IUCN’s first-ever 20-year strategy and the new 4-year programme of work. Both will be considered by Members at the Congress, charting a bold path to 2045 and setting priorities for the years ahead.

As I seek a second term as President, I remain committed to a Union that is strategic, inclusive, and effective—delivering real impact for nature and people. That means ensuring our strategy lives in action, upholding good governance, serving all Members with science and policy leadership, and deepening partnerships that keep nature at the center of global decisions.

This is our moment to unite for nature, climate, and people.

I look forward to welcoming you to the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, from the 9th to the 15th of October, 2025. Through the Forum, Exhibition, and Members’ Assembly, we will share ideas, debate motions, and elect the next IUCN Council—shaping the future of conservation together.

Thank you.”

Today, on the 75th Anniversary of the founding of IUCN, Razan Al Mubarak commemorated the organization and led its 110th Council Meeting in the Chateau of Fontainebleau, France, where the International Union for the Conservation of Nature was formally established.

In a heartfelt retrospective of the organization’s journey,  Ms. Al Mubarak highlighted its growth throughout the years and emphasized the relevance of a common conviction:

“IUCN is a global union of an incredibly diverse worldwide membership including 1,400 entities from governments, subnational governments, Indigenous peoples’ groups, and civil society, and 15,000 experts from diverse disciplines. All united to defend a conviction that the world is better, more liveable, more wondrous, healthier, and more resilient when nature and humankind thrive together.”

Ms. Al Mubarak, who is gearing up to represent the COP28 presidency at the end of November, also spoke on the importance of an inclusive approach to conservation:

“The targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement must be met with a groundswell of bold action from governments, civil society, indigenous peoples’ organizations, women and youth.”

During the 110th meeting of the IUCN Council, which focused on furthering the development of a 20-year strategic vision for the IUCN, Ms. Al Mubarak stated:

“While the urgency to address environmental challenges has never been greater, we are buoyed by a wave of positive developments. The emergence of global and regional environmental agreements, responsible business practices, financial incentives for nature, and advanced monitoring technologies are beacons of hope, guiding us towards a more sustainable and prosperous future.”

Watch Ms. Al Mubarak’s full speech at the 75th Anniversary Commemoration of IUCN here.

Just over one year ago, Razan Al Mubarak was elected IUCN’s new president. Her first year in office marks an important milestone and a great opportunity to update you on the progress that IUCN, under her leadership, has made in implementing the resolutions and decisions agreed upon during the Congress, while also laying out goals for the year ahead. 

Ms. Al Mubarak said: “It is more important now than ever to ambitiously advocate on behalf of our planet with the urgency that this moment deserves. The work we do for IUCN and the conservation of nature is vital – and it is not solitary work: together we can contribute to a healthy future for our planet.”

Highlights of the Council’s work of the past year include:

• The establishment of a Climate Change Commission and the appointment of Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, the former Minister of the Environment of Peru, as the Commission’s Interim Chair. In this position, Mr. Pulgar-Vidal will lead the commission in mobilizing and coordinating efforts to address climate change across the Union.
• In September, 2022, Ms. Al Mubarak represented IUCN at the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York; engaged with UN Climate Change High-Level Champions at COP26 to advocate for Nature-based Solutions; interfaced with the World Economic Forum on planning for UNFCCC’s COP27 and COP28; and stood with world leaders in a pledge to commit to conservation goals for COP15 in Montreal.
• The acceleration of efforts to pursue, monitor, and adapt integrated approaches to solving the biodiversity and climate crises, including advocating for the adoption of Nature-based Solutions to climate change at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in November and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal, Canada, in December. 
• IUCN Council has made great progress on the development of a 20-year Strategic Vision, inclusive of a Financial Strategy and Strategic Plan for the Union, as directed by Union Members during the World Conservation Congress in Marseille (WCC-2020-Dec-147-EN). So far, Council has developed and approved the Terms of Reference for the intersessional working group and the Bureau has received expressions of interest from Union Members to become members of the Council working group and recommended names for appointment by council.  

Looking ahead, Ms. Al Mubarak eagerly anticipates the first-ever IUCN Council meeting to be hosted in Abu Dhabi, in her homeland of the United Arab Emirates, and the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to be hosted in Dubai in November 2023. 

As the first Arab woman to serve as IUCN President, Ms. Al Mubarak especially values the imprint that her role as President has left on countless young women across West Asia, North Africa, and around the world, inspiring them to play an active role in conserving nature and biodiversity.

IUCN President Razan Al Mubarak delivered opening remarks at the IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress on July 18, 2022, in Kigali, Rwanda.

Noting that twenty-five percent of the world’s biodiversity can be found in Africa, Ms. Al Mubarak highlighted the critical role that Africa’s protected areas can play in the fight against biodiversity loss and climate change.

“Well designed and effectively managed and governed protected areas not only serve as bastions for biodiversity, but they fundamentally and crucially fortify our health, our economy, our society, our very identity and culture, and in the context of such a polarized world, they also form and become symbols of our common humanity,” said Ms. Al Muburak. 

She added that now is the time to “seize this moment of global environmental interest” to design a new model of conservation where communities are empowered, women and youth are authentically engaged, and science and local knowledge are embraced.

The six-day event was the first ever continent-wide gathering of African leaders, citizens, and interest groups to discuss the role of Africa’s protected areas. The gathering closed with the adoption of the Kigali Call to Action by more than 2,400 participants. Priority actions include strengthening rights for indigenous peoples and local communities, increasing public and private financial investment in conservation and protected areas, and enhancing Pan-African collaboration towards these ends. In addition, the event resulted in a new $200 billion conservation trust fund, which will help protect around 8,600 protected areas that encompass 26 million square kilometers across the continent.

Watch Ms. Al Muburak’s opening remarks on YouTube.  

On September 8, 2021 Razan Al Mubarak was elected IUCN President for a 4-year term. Watch Ms. Al Mubarak’s acceptance speech at the conclusion of IUCN World Conservation Congress 2021 or read the transcription below.

---

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, and my fellow IUCN members,

I am truly humbled and honored to stand before you this evening at the closing ceremony of the 2021 World Conservation Congress as your newly elected president and I pledge to live up to this great responsibility and to earn your trust at this critical moment for the planet.

As I begin my address, I'd like to first thank the great city of Marseille and our gracious host, the country of France for their truly amazing hospitality and for prioritizing our health and safety for those who were able to attend in person. Thank you. And on behalf of us all, I'd also like to thank and raise our hats to the incredible team at the IUCN Secretariat for making this Congress a great success.

As we've heard, this hybrid Congress exceeded all of our expectations, both in terms of turnout, but also in terms of voting participation. In fact, more members cast their votes in these elections than during any of the past three three Congresses. Thank you. This would not have happened without your relentless dedication and effort. Chapeau!

But this success, in turn, is a reflection of the extraordinary dedication of our members, who despite the challenges attended virtually or in person to reconnect with colleagues, to reconnect with the IUCN extended family, and who voted virtually or in person to advance the democratic values of the IUCN and who contributed in person or virtually to unite and galvanize our collective efforts to protect nature. Shukran. Merci. Thank you. Y muchas gracias.

Mr. Bruno, the IUCN director general. You have successfully navigated our beloved organization in the eye of a global pandemic storm and I strive to take on the reins of the presidency as quickly and as efficiently as you have done. It is our joint responsibility to complement each other's strengths, to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of the president and the director general are clear and well defined and to work hand in hand to bring harmony to the council, to the secretariat, to the regional offices, and of course, to the regional and national committees. This will help ensure that we all work together synergistically, efficiently, effectively, with transparency and integrity, with a sense of urgency and never losing sight of what nature demands of IUCN. 

I also, too, want to take this opportunity to recognize the nine years of service of our former president, Mr. Zhang Xingsheng, who joined us virtually from China throughout this Congress and continues to show his commitment through his words and through his actions.

And for the newly elected council, congratulations. Our work starts now. Tomorrow is our first council meeting, and it will be critical to establish from the very beginning our common commitment to protecting nature, our duty to all our members, and our obligation to cooperation, to professionalism and to authenticity. 

Our members have not only put their trust in us to serve the union, but ultimately they have put their trust in us to serve nature. Ladies and gentlemen, we've all agreed that nature needs IUCN to step up. We need an IUCN that is visionary, willing to take strong, bold, ambitious steps. And let us not forget that it was IUCN that was at the foundation of what we know nature conservation to be. It is time to reignite the spirit of innovation, a nothing-is-impossible attitude whilst embracing the values of compassion, inclusivity, respect and diversity.

Ladies and gentlemen, caring for nature and biodiversity is our ethical duty, not just a scope of work. We need to accept in our core the contribution of nature to humanity. It is our duty to fight for nature, not only because of what it does for us, but for its own sake, its own intrinsic value.

And finally, I stand before you as the first Arab woman president in IUCN history. And for this, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for entrusting me with this great responsibility and in doing so, inspiring the countless women and young people of West Asia, North Africa and around the world who aspire to accomplish their dreams. You are our future and our greatest hope for a better tomorrow.

As we depart from here, both physically and virtually, I wish you and your loved ones to be safe and healthy, and I also wish that you take the spirit of this event with you to the next quadrennium to ensure that the IUCN community progresses its mission with a sense of urgency, with a sense of purpose, and with a sense of hope that this moment demands.

Thank you very much.

Razan Al Mubarak articulated her vision for the Union in the recent IUCN 2021 presidential candidates’ debate which was moderated by the former Prime Minister of France, Laurent Fabius.

The debate was conducted in advance of the electronic vote which will open to all IUCN members no matter their location on September 4, 2021.

In her closing statement, Ms. Al Mubarak offered a message of hope for the future of conservation: 

“IUCN has so much to offer at this critical moment, especially as more and more people recognize that protecting nature is critical to solving the current challenges we face, and that nature-based solutions are gaining more ground.

This is our opportunity to bring back the grand vision of the Union, where nature is elevated as an existential crisis on the global agenda. 

Now is the time for us to step up to this challenge and redesign and reimagine nature conservation. The time for procrastination is over. We must be bold. We must be fast. We must innovate. And armed with optimism and humility, we need to enable the IUCN to be a more active and effective advocate for Nature Conservation globally. I am convinced we can do it collectively. We will succeed, for nature needs us and we need nature.”

Watch the first presidential debate in the IUCN’s YouTube channel.