IUCN - THE WORLD CONSERVATION UNION
IUCN's mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to
conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural
resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.
Founded in 1948, The World Conservation Union brings together States, government
agencies and a diverse range of non-governmental organizations in a unique world
partnership: over 980 members in all, spread across some 140 countries.
A central secretariat coordinates the IUCN Programme and serves the Union
membership, representing their views on the world stage and providing them with the
strategies, services, scientific knowledge and technical support they need to achieve their
goals.
http://www.iucn.org/
Commission on Education and Communication (CEC)
IUCN Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) is a global network of experts
in environmental and sustainable development education and communication.
The Commission is a formal part of the IUCN organization. Its mandate and programme
are approved by the IUCN Member organizations - that is the States, environmental
government agencies, and non government organizations around the world. CEC is one
of IUCN's six global Commissions.
CEC members are volunteers contributing their expertise to guide IUCN policy and
advocacy for education and communication, as well as on the effective management and
evaluation of educational programmes. CEC develops capacity building programmes in
environmental communication.
http://www.iucn.org/cec/
Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP)
CEESP, the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy, is an interdisciplinary network of professionals whose mission is to act as a source of advice on the
environmental, economic, social and cultural factors that affect natural resources and
biological diversity and to provide guidance and support towards effective policies and
practices in environmental conservation and sustainable development. Following the
mandate approved at the Second World Conservation Congress in Amman, October
2000, CEESP contributes to the IUCN programme and mission with particular reference
to five thematic areas:
- Collaborative Management of Natural Resources
- Sustainable Livelihoods
- Environment and Security
- Environment, Trade and Investment
- IUCN WCPA - CEESP Theme Working Group on Indigenous Peoples, Local
Communities, Equity, and Protected Areas
http://www.iucn.org/themes/ceesp/index.html
Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM)
The IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) provides expert guidance on
integrated ecosystem approaches to the management of natural and modified
ecosystems. To further IUCN's mission, CEM will link science, society and ecosystem
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management. CEM helps make the latest thinking in ecosystem science accessible and
useable to decision-makers and resource managers. It provides assistance to the
Conventions on Biological Diversity, Sustainable Development and to Combat
Desertification and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.
http://www.iucn.org/themes/cem/index.html
Commission on Environmental Law (CEL)
The Commission on Environmental Law (CEL) is a network of environmental law and
policy experts from all regions of the world who volunteer their knowledge and services
to IUCN activities, especially to those of the IUCN Law Programme. CEL functions as an
integral part of the IUCN Environmental Law Programme, which includes the Commission
and the Environmental Law Center.
http://www.iucn.org/themes/law/cel01.html
Species Survival Commission (SSC)
SSC is the world's greatest source of information about species and their conservation
needs. The Species Survival Commission is a knowledge network of some 7,000
volunteer members working in almost every country of the world. Members include
wildlife researchers, government officials, wildlife veterinarians, zoo employees, marine
biologists, wildlife park managers, and experts on birds, mammals, fish, amphibians,
reptiles, plants, and invertebrates.
Most of SSC's members are deployed in more than 120 Specialist Groups and Task
Forces. Some groups address conservation issues related to particular groups of plants or
animals while others focus on topical issues such as reintroduction of species into former
habitats, or sustainable use of species.
SSC is the largest of the six Commissions of IUCN-The World Conservation Union. It
serves as the main source of advice to the Union and its members on the technical
aspects of species conservation. SSC seeks to mobilize action by the world conservation
community for species conservation, particularly those species threatened with extinction
and those of importance for human welfare.
What does SSC do?
- produces the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- provides technical and scientific advice to governments, international environmental
treaties, conservation organizations
- publishes Action Plans, newsletters, policy guidelines
- organizes workshops
- implements on-ground conservation projects
- raises funds for and carries out research
http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/
The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA)
The WCPA mission is to promote the establishment and effective management of a
world-wide representative network of terrestrial and marine protected areas, as an
integral contribution to the IUCN mission.
http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species provides taxonomic, conservation status and
distribution information on taxa that have been evaluated using the IUCN Red List
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Categories and Criteria. This system is designed to determine the relative risk of
extinction, and the main purpose of the IUCN Red List is to catalogue and highlight those
taxa that are facing a higher risk of global extinction (i.e. those listed as Critically
Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable). The IUCN Red List also includes information
on taxa that are categorized as Extinct or Extinct in the Wild; on taxa that cannot be
evaluated because of insufficient information (i.e. are Data Deficient); and on taxa that
are either close to meeting the threatened thresholds or that would be threatened were it
not for an ongoing taxon-specific conservation programme (i.e. Near Threatened).
http://www.redlist.org/
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