Emmanuel Nuesiri, Chair of the Natural Resource Governance Framework Working Group for CEESP, explains in this brief note how IUCN CEESP’s Natural Resource Governance Framework could be instrumental in addressing the systemic gaps that contributed to this tragedy and preventing similar disasters in the future.

Delivering a presentation on "Agroecology and Biodiversity Conservation" during the 1st Regional Forum on Agroecology in the Congo Basin was an honour for IUCN, represented by the West and Central Africa Regional Office. The event was initiated by a BIOPAMA grantee, SAILD, with whom IUCN implemented the "Project to optimise conservation of Deng Deng National Park by strengthening the capacities of local communities in agroecological practices in Cameroon."

Co-chair of the IIFB, Lucy Mulenkei expressed, “the importance of Traditional Knowledge related to Biodiversity was discussed at the TRUA SUMMIT in Bogota, as well as the advocacy strategy for the work at COP16 where the Subsidiary Body on article 8J was adopted, and which was a great achievement for us all. Discussions on biodiversity are crucial and it is important to continue to find the relation with climate change in order to address this world crises."

The GBFF has an opportunity for a pivotal alliance between the force of multilateralism and the leadership of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. However, such an alliance must be firmly grounded in recognition and respect for our rights, including our traditional knowledge systems shaped by many generations of practice and a peoples’ journey for millennia, resulting in genuine and actual transformational impacts at scale.

As the UN climate talks closed in Baku, Azerbaijan, IUCN recognised the new collective quantified goal agreed on climate finance by Parties as an important – but limited – step forward in our common fight against climate change. IUCN welcomes the renewal of the mandate of the Facilitative Working Group (FWG) of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP), as well as the successful adoption of their new 2025-2027 Baku Work Plan.

“This Global Coral Assessment raises the alarm for urgent collective action to stop the decline of coral reefs worldwide. The MSC Foundation is proud to partner with the IUCN Coral Red List team, who have done an exceptional job collecting the most reliable data to assess and report on the status of the world’s reef-building corals,” said Daniela Picco, Executive Director of the MSC Foundation. The protection of our biodiversity is not only vital for our well-being but crucial for our survival.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the Federal Foreign Office launched the 2024 Thematic Call of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) at the Climate Change Conference in Baku. 

IUCN will be partnering with the ODISEA expedition to explore and protect biodiversity in the Western Indian Ocean, IUCN’s Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office announced at the COP29 in Baku. The joint work is aimed at strengthening the Great Blue Wall – a network of conserved and restored ecosystems that shelter communities.

BIOPAMA supported forty-one grantees in Eastern and Southern Africa Region and three programme team members to undertake a virtual course for conservationists entitled Strategies for Effective Protected Areas Management in Africa, delivered by conservation economics experts Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF).

China's existing protected areas (including national parks, nature reserves, and nature parks) still have insufficient representation in the conservation of ecosystems and species, and OECMs, with their flexible and diverse governance structures, are expected to play an active role in filling this gap and providing new opportunities for recognising the contributions of Indigenous peoples and local communities in conservation work. Prof. Lu analysed the policy gaps and opportunities for OECMs in China and introduced the actions related to OECMs carried out by Chinese civil society, as well as the preliminary OECM standards drafted by the China OECM expert group. She shared the results of the OECM potential case collection initiative (hereinafter, the initiative) in China. This case collection was the first attempt to collect potential OECM cases in China, collecting a total of 90 cases.

For years, countries and organisations like IUCN have advocated globally to secure commitment to this ambitious 30x30 target, which aims to protect 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030. While the percentage is significant, the focus is on inclusivity—expanding participation beyond traditional conservationists to involve a wide array of stakeholders. The goal is not only to increase the number of protected areas but also to enhance their effectiveness by fostering engagement and providing resources and recognition to diverse groups. The 30x30 target aims to bring together civil society, private sector actors, local communities, entrepreneurs, businesses, governments, and international organisations. By connecting resources with commitment, these efforts seek to manage funding effectively, expand community engagement, and strengthen existing protected areas. 

At CIMAS II, Huawei and IUCN presented the achievements and next steps of the Tech4Nature Phase I project in Spain, which assessed requirements for balancing recreation and nature conservation in four protected areas: Sierra Nevada National Park, Ordesa y Monte Perdido, and Sierra de Guadarrama, and the Natural Park of Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac. In Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac Natural Park, a solution comprising cameras, GPS receivers, cloud storage, and AI was deployed to monitor the impact of visitors on local fauna, in particular the factors affecting the reproductive success and mobility of Bonelli's eagles. Phase II of the Tech4Nature project will continue to improve conservation and visitor management through digital solutions, enhance data analysis in protected areas, and explore outdoor navigation applications to improve visitor-wildlife interaction.

As part of a project launched in 2022 and supported by the Airbus Foundation, IUCN has been able to access satellite imagery and use artificial intelligence to assess the state of forest restoration efforts in São Paulo, Brazil. And now that the initial project has proven a success, IUCN is hoping to expand it – and it could serve as a model for further restoration initiatives across the world.  In 2011, IUCN partnered with the German Government to launch the Bonn Challenge, a global goal to restore 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes by 2030. IUCN has also partnered with Huawei to create the Tech4Nature initiative to further the conservation of protected areas, and just last year, IUCN partnered with the Allen Institute for AI to equip governmental and non-governmental organisations with advanced artificial intelligence technology to help monitor marine protected areas.

The Ministry of Environment (led by Minister Kim Wan-seop) and the Korea National Park Service (led by Chairman Song Hyung-geun) hosted a 20th-anniversary commemoration event and academic symposium under the theme “20 Years of Coexistence in Asiatic Black Bear Restoration: Harmony of Humans and Nature” from October 30 to November 1 in Seoul and the Jirisan National Park area. Jirisan National Park was added to the Green List during the Pilot Phase in 2014. Since the successful implementation of the project to restore Asiatic Black Bears in Mt. Jirisan, Special Protection Zones (SPZs) have been expanded within the national park. These zones now cover 19.89 km², accounting for 40.5% of the entire Jirisan National Park (483 km²). In 2021, the Green List certification for Jirisan Park was renewed.

The Soure Marine Extractive Reserve (RESEX Soure) became the first Brazilian Protected area to enter the IUCN Green List. Located in Soure, on Marajó Island, Pará, the Reserve was created in 2001 on the demand of the local communities, as the area’s biodiversity was threatened with the increase of predatory fishing activities coming from fishers from other municipalities. The Reserve stands out for its co-management model, shared between ICMBio and ASSUREMAS, an association of users and beneficiaries of the area. It has a strong deliberative council, with 14 other associations of local communities, NGO’s, universities and government bodies, that alongside ICMBio have been implementing ground-breaking participatory management activities.

Our stories, lives and art are neatly fitted into one new and brief section of the Holecene. However, shortly after the end of World War Two, this orderly classification is proposed to have shifted again. The increasingly complex web of human activity since the industrial revolution has yielded unprecedented changes to our relationship with the planet, and the age we live in. 

The Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) is home to vast and diverse ecosystems, including the world’s second largest rainforest. This rich biodiversity is not only a global treasure, but also a vital resource for the IPLCs who have stewarded these lands for generations. In the DRC, ANAPAC is a key player in strengthening, securing and enhancing these conserved areas.

"In Pacific cultures, spirituality is intricately linked to the environment, with land, water, and the natural world seen as sacred gifts. Conservation is not just a scientific or economic issue, but a ‘spiritual responsibility’ for many Indigenous communities. It was empowering to see Indigenous voices recognized as key actors, rather than as passive beneficiaries", says Daphney Kiki, the CEESP Young Professional Focal Point for Oceania.

The Young Professional group under the IUCN-CEESP Theme on Governance, Equity, and Rights (TGER) is bringing together youth-focused and policy-oriented perspectives from young leaders who are engaged in work associated with the environment including research and advocacy. Through creative and flexible ways (like art, poetry, visuals, maps), the project aims to provide a platform for young professionals to document and record our environmental and conservation journeys.

In North Karelia, Finland, a local fishing community has set out to revive a wetland that once bore the scars of peat mining. Now, Linnunsuo is more than a restored ecosystem: it has become a celebrated example of an Indigenous and Community Conserved Area (ICCA), demonstrating the power of collective action in preserving biodiversity and mitigating climate impacts.

An important area of overlap between the Convention on Biological Diversity and UNFCCC is their dependence on retaining and recovering the ecological integrity of ecosystems. This briefing
explains what natural ecosystems provide to climate control strategies, why protected and conserved
areas are important and how we can maximise their benefits.

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