Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has been selected as a candidate for a second term. She stated:

“Serving as President of IUCN—the world’s oldest and largest environmental network—has been one of the greatest honours of my life.

Today, I am deeply humbled to have been selected by the IUCN Council and Election Committee as a candidate for a second term. I would be honoured to continue this journey with you.

Over the past four years, with the support of our Council, the leadership of our Director General and Secretariat team, and the dedication of our Members, we have strengthened our Union: advancing a 20-Year Strategic Vision for IUCN, improving governance, and elevating the voice of nature on the global stage.

IUCN was founded to conserve nature and promote the sustainable use of natural resources. Today, the world increasingly recognizes that safeguarding nature is essential—not only for biodiversity itself, but also for human wellbeing, resilience, and the future of our planet.

As we prepare to gather this October at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, we have an important opportunity to shape an even more ambitious path forward.

That is why I am seeking a second term: to help IUCN, together with its Council, Director General, Secretariat, and most importantly, its Members, deepen its impact, strengthen its partnerships, and continue to be the leading global voice for nature at this critical time.

The strength of IUCN lies in its diverse and influential membership, who are uniquely positioned—both globally and locally—to deliver meaningful action for nature and biodiversity where it matters most.

With your support, I am ready to continue this vital work—together—for nature, and for the future we all share.

Thank you.”

Razan Al Mubarak shared a message to mark her second anniversary as President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In her speech, she highlighted the importance of inclusion to solve the current climate crisis.

“One of the cornerstones of our work for the last two years has been a focus on inclusion. And by inclusion, I don't mean an aspirational touting of petty talking points. I mean real inclusion specifically of women, Indigenous people and youth at the decision-making nexus on the critical issues of both biodiversity loss and climate change.”

Ms. Al Mubarak, who was named the UN Climate Change High Level Champion for COP28, also spoke on the importance of nature-based solutions to tackle the current climate crisis:

“To that end, another key principle that I have focused on as we lead up to COP 28 is that very intersection and inevitably the importance of nature based solutions. We at IUCN have spent many years championing the importance of nature based solutions, and I am happy to report that we are making great progress in promoting this very concept on the global stage for the first time at COP28, countries will follow the Paris Agreements mandate to take stock of our collective progress towards achieving the agreement's key goals.

Unfortunately, it is now clear that we are not meeting critical targets. Getting back on track and addressing these gaps will require changes not just in energy and transportation, but also in how we farm, how we build, how we manufacture, and how we invest in conserving and restoring nature. Most nature based solutions are faster and more cost effective than any engineered solutions out there, many of which are still decades away from removing carbon on a scale that's even close to what nature can do.”

Watch Ms. Al Mubarak’s full speech on YouTube.