Yesterday, representatives of EPL and UNCG as members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) took part in the opening of the IUCN Congress in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The World Congress brought together more than 10 thousand scientists, representatives of environmental governmental and non-governmental organizations from all continents. The purpose of the Congress is to discuss the decline and ways of reviving global governance to preserve nature and people.
With the growth of global instability, both international and national architectures of environmental governance are in decline, failing to meet modern challenges in nature conservation and climate change adaptation. During the official opening and five moderated panel discussions, speakers tried to set the tone, vectors of work for the congress participants, inspire them, and give their visions of the problems of global leadership in nature conservation in the polarized world.
Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, opened the event, noting that the UAE is reaffirming its pioneering role every day as a global driver of innovative solutions and comprehensive sustainability for all peoples, with nature at the heart of the country’s development planning. The Minister noted that the UAE has a significant track record in nature conservation, reflecting the deep-rooted heritage of the Emirati people’s relationship with the environment. Evidence of this continuity is the development and adoption of the 2031 National Biodiversity Strategy. This strategy aims to promote solutions based on respect and love for nature, restore ecosystems, protect endangered species, and expand nature reserves, which now cover more than 15% of the country’s territory.
The speech of the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment was inspiring. However, driving around Abu Dhabi, we saw practically no systematic implementation of techniques of renewable energy generation, humane treatment of stray animals, rational use of water resources, etc.
IUCN President Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak said that the united voice of all participants in the Congress should remind humanity that preservation of humanity and preservation of nature are inseparable. We understand more than ever how deeply our lives depend on the natural world, yet we continue to act as if we are separate from it. Here in Abu Dhabi, we have a chance to turn understanding into unity, and unity into action. The decisions taken this week will determine whether we are able to unite our efforts to preserve nature. Leaders of states, international and national organizations must join forces and mobilize indigenous peoples, local communities to cooperate. Mobilizing communities, indigenous peoples, youth, women, as well as developing education, technologies in nature conservation, ensuring dignity, health, a clean environment, sustainable development and green transformations are some of the main directions of the new IUCN strategy, which is to be approved by IUCN members at the Congress. Concluding her speech, Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak emphasized that we must act today to save the beauty of our nature, its diversity.
IUCN Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar emphasized that we cannot fold our hands in protecting nature, because we have the knowledge, experience, and motivation to work together to preserve it from Africa to Asia, from Asia to America and Europe. We support each other all the time. United, we have more opportunities in protecting the environment. She noted that we speak different languages but we have respect for each other’s culture, for the opportunities to share knowledge and ideas to confront global problems and challenges in preserving the environment. We all understand that preserving the environment is the basis for preserving humanity. Across borders, we are building one community that stands for the protection of nature. We have chosen our side – the side of nature, people, justice, solidarity, and responsibility. Together, we are able to convey to humanity the need to preserve the environment as a whole.
During the panel discussions, the problems of global governance were repeatedly emphasized, as well as the need to reform both international and national environmental governance architectures, the need to reform nature conservation institutions, and the need for systemic changes in international environmental law, which for the most part does not work and does not solve the current problems of the polarized world.
We hope that the Congress, held every four years and allowing over 1,400 IUCN member organizations to democratically identify the most pressing issues of nature conservation, will reach agreement on the new strategy that will set the general directions for environmental conservation for decades and will identify tools for their implementation in order to save the common home of all humanity.
