Amazon Conservation Joins The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

May 16, 2024

As of late April, Amazon Conservation has officially become a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an institution that unites governments and civil society to advance sustainable development for a world that deeply values nature. 

With over 1,400 member organizations and and a network of over 16,000 scientists, the IUCN drives conservation among organizations across multi-national levels to bring the necessary, knowledge, tools, and resources to progress toward safeguarding the natural world. Since its creation in 1948, it has become the world’s most prevalent environmental network and continues to build on human and economic development to address key conservation areas such as species survival, environmental law, protected areas, social and economic policy, ecosystem management, and education and communication. Each organization in the ICUN plays a unique role in a democratic process, where they can contribute to discussions, agendas, and resolutions that develop the foundation for global conservation. This system has helped to establish significant environmental agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

To expand our reach across the Amazon and globally, Amazon Conservation has formed alliances and partnerships both on the ground and internationally to strengthen conservation efforts and maximize its impacts. Starting in Peru, we began working with local government officials and organizations to address gaps in deforestation prevention to improve technological capacity for forest monitoring and help indigenous communities defend their territories. While it is urgent that we address solutions to deforestation to help protect lands, we also recognize that the Amazon has become vulnerable to other threats such as wildlife trade, land conversion, and various other illegal activities. Considering this, we co-founded the Nature Crime Alliance, a global multi-sector initiative led by the World Resources Institute (WRI) to fight environmental crimes across the globe. 

Now, as a part of the IUCN, we aim to continue expanding our allyships to raise awareness for nature-positive solutions and strengthen our efforts to help combat negative climate and environmental impacts in the Amazon.