The IUCN World Conservation Congress sets the conservation agenda for decades to come

Tsenka Garova | 14/11/2025 16:38:38 | article, external event

The 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress brought together more than 10,000 participants from 189 countries for over 1,000 events. Held between 9 and 15 September 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the Congress gathered decision-makers from governments, civil society, academia, Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, and the private sector.

The programme focused on five central themes: Scaling Up Resilient Conservation Action; Reducing Climate Overshoot Risks; Delivering on Equity; Transitioning to Nature-Positive Economies and Societies; Disruptive Innovation and Leadership for Conservation.

Main outcomes include the approval of a new 20-year Strategic Vision and the adoption of a new programme for the next four years. Some other high-impact announcements during the conference include the Abu Dhabi Call to Action, which urges the global community to center nature in global decision- and policy making.

IUCN is a Safeguard partner that participates in the organisation of Buzzing Tables - thematic stakeholder discussion groups that aim to identify and fill evidence gaps and share best practices. 

Safeguard partner Pensoft Publishers – who is responsible for the project’s communication and dissemination activities – participated in the event with a dedicated booth presenting work on open science, innovative publishing, collaborative research and science communication for EU-funded biodiversity research projects.

With just five years remaining to meet the 2030 targets of the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Global Biodiversity Framework, the 2025 IUCN Congress served as an important opportunity to advance coordinated action on climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and the global health crisis.

Back to news overview