ABU DHABI - Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), yesterday delivered the opening remarks at the IUCN Regional Conservation Forum in Washington, DC.

Hosted at Conservation International in Arlington – outside the nation's capital city - the two-day event gathered representatives of US-based IUCN Member organisations, IUCN Commissions, and other partners.

The US represents the largest constituency of IUCN members, with more than 140 member organisations operating not just within the country but globally.

In addition, the US Department of State is a framework donor to the IUCN, contributing significantly to the fulfillment of the IUCN mission. Some of the key issues under discussion include climate change, nature crime and large landscapes and habitat connectivity.

As she addressed delegates, Al Mubarak urged them to celebrate the successes of the IUCN and the environmental movement, while also focusing on the complex challenges humanity is already facing, such as loss of nature and biodiversity, climate change, and desertification.

"Our environmental challenges are indeed interconnected and must be addressed holistically. IUCN members are central to this global effort," said Al Mubarak, who also serves as UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for the leadership team of COP28.

She also stressed that tackling the complex and interconnected challenges of the future requires a long-term vision. This is why she is actively championing the effort to develop a 20-year strategic vision for the IUCN. A draft of the document is currently open for consultation.

The strategy, as well as the 2026-2029 IUCN Programme of Work, will be formally adopted at the World Conservation Congress 2025, set to take place in Abu Dhabi next year.

In Washington, Al Mubarak urged delegates to participate actively in shaping the draft documents. Day 1 of the Regional Conservation Forum in Washington is dedicated to seeking input from the delegates on the four-year IUCN Programme of Work and providing input and feedback on the IUCN 20-year vision, which is central to Al Mubarak's effort to further strengthen IUCN's position as a leading environmental organisation.

Today, members will coordinate emergent priorities and goals for the Abu Dhabi congress. Also under review are current IUCN resolutions and the progress in their implementation, as well as motions for new resolutions to be voted on in Abu Dhabi.

For Al Mubarak, innovation and inclusion are two key pillars of the efforts to tackle the complex and intertwined environmental challenges ahead.

"We need to keep innovating and embrace inclusivity," she said. "We need to make sure that as IUCN aligns its strategies with the global environmental targets for 2030 and 2050, that we embrace these values wholeheartedly. Because we are not merely setting plans for the next four years, we are setting the path for an ambitious and impactful 20-year vision."

The US Regional Conservation Forum is one of nine regional events held in preparation for the World Conservation Congress 2025, where "the future of our organisation and the impact we want it to have will be decided upon," Al Mubarak stated.