Report and Update from the Chair, IUCN
Asia Regional Members Committee
Presentation to the Asia Regional Conservation Forum
August 10, 2015 Bangkok, Thailand
INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE
Governance Related Updates
• Subsequent to 2012 WCC in Jeju, Pakistan
became an integral part of IUCN’s South and
East Asia statutory region based on the
amendments to the relevant Statutes
• This also resulted in the addition of elected
Regional Councilor seats increasing from 3 to 5
in the South and East Asia Region
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Membership Trends
Second largest statutory membership region
• Membership has grown from 189 Members in Sep 2011
to 259 members as of date
– State Member: Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Royal
Government of Bhutan; Ministry of Environment, Green
Development and Tourism, Government of Mongolia
– Government Agency Member: 2 Members from Sri Lanka Ministry of Agriculture, Agrarian Development, Minor Irrigation,
Industries and Environment, Department of National Zoological
Gardens;1 Member from Pakistan - Sindh Coastal Development
Authority, Planning & Development Department, Government of
Sindh; and 1 Member from the Republic of Korea - Korea Marine
Environment Management Corporation
– INGO Member: 1 Member from Thailand - International Network
of Engaged Buddhists (INEB)
– Affiliate Member: 1 affiliate Member from the People’s Republic
of China - Mt. Huangshan Scenic Area Administrative Committee
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Membership Trends
– NGO Member: 23 Members from the Republic of
Korea, 15 Members from Pakistan, 13 Members
from India, 9 Members from the People’s Republic
of China, 4 members each from Bangladesh and
Nepal, 3 Members each from Japan and Thailand,
2 Members each from Indonesia, Myanmar and
Vietnam, 1 Member each from Bhutan, Lao PDR
and the Philippines
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Asia Regional Members Committee Meeting,
August 2014
• IUCN President presented his vision for IUCN including options for
strengthening the Union
• A Special Session on implementation of WCC-Jeju-Res 10 related
to strengthening IUCN's overall presence in Asia including its subregional components was held
• Excellent feedback and comments were received on strengthening
programmatic presence from members of Asia Regional Members
Committee which Asia Secretariat have incorporated into a draft
strategy
• There were discussion also on the roles and function of the
Regional Committee and its Office Bearers, Fundraising for the
activities of the Regional Committee and the use of the Union Portal
• Updates from national committees, member representatives from
countries without National Committees, Commission
Representatives and also Regional Councillors were provided
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Key Activities related to National Committees
• Thailand National Committee during the period
witnessed the joining of the State Member and then
assuming the Chair of the National Committee
• Bangladesh National Committee has a new Chair, Dr
Hasna J. Moudud, Executive Director, Coastal Area
Resource Development and Management Association
• Sri Lanka National Committee also has a new Chair, Mr
Anura Sathurusinghe, Conservation General of Forests
• Vietnam National Committee has now been formally
established
• IUCN Members in the Philippines have expressed
interest in establishing a National Committee
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Key Activities related to National Committees
Japan National Committee
• Encourage stakeholders to commit actions related
to 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets through the "Double
20 campaign" (Nijyu-maru Project in Japanese).
The number of commitments has reached 350
activities by 240 partners including IUCN member,
business, local governments, research and
education and other NGOs.
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Key Activities related to National Committees
Korea National Committee
• Members’ dialogue with Director General, Ms. Inger
Anderson, during World Leaders’ Conservation
Forum, which was held in Jeju, Korea, 7-9 July
2015.
• World Leaders’ Conservation Forum is a follow-up
measure to implement promises stated in the Jeju
Declaration announced during 2012 IUCN World
Conservation Congress in Jeju
• Eight Projects to implement Resolutions and
Recommendations adopted in 2012 WCC
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Key Activities related to National Committees
Sri Lanka National Committee
• National Committee in Sri Lanka provided an excellent
platform to identify policy and other critical
environment issues in the country.
• This helped IUCN to:
– Bring both Govt. of India and Sri Lanka to discuss about
fishing and marine resource management issues in Gulf
of Mannar basin, based on the IUCN led studies on
Indian and Sri Lanka seascapes with the support of
MFF funding
– The National Committee, together with IUCN Secretariat
office, has provided advice and guidance on developing
an approach to strengthen environmental assessments
including the EIA processes in the country
•
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Key Activities related to National Committees
Nepal National Committee
• IUCN-NNC members are working together to support the
reconstruction process after the Nepal earthquake
specifically related to biodiversity conservation
• The Nepal National Committee drew attention of the
Government of Nepal towards conserving the threatened
floral species Yartsa Gunbu (Cordyceps sinensis) in the
wild
• Advocacy and facilitation on environmental agendas for
Constitution members including providing
recommendation on controlling illegal wildlife trade of
rhino horn
• Facilitated all six IUCN Commission members meetings
and workshops
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Key Activities related to National Committees
India National Committee
• Workshop on National Biodiversity Targets, New
Delhi, June 26-27, 2014: Twenty six members of the
Indian National Committee participated in two day
workshop. The participants were apprised of India's 5th
National Report to the CBD and India's National
Biodiversity Targets. The participants worked in a group to
prepare a road map for achieving Aichi Targets as
indicated in India Report to CBD
• Participation of INC-IUCN in CoP-11, Hyderabad,
October 1-19, 2012: INC-IUCN was given the
responsibility to showcase the activities of member
organizations Four booths were arranged for INC–IUCN
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Major Conservation Events
Asia Parks Congress
• The first ever Asia Parks Congress hosted by IUCN State Member,
Government of Japan was held in Sendai Prefecture of Japan in
November 2013
– One of the major outcomes of the APC was the establishment of
the Asia Protected Areas Partnership
CBD COP 11
• IUCN Asia Regional members and the Asia Secretariat effectively
participated at the CBD COP 11 meeting held in Hyderabad, India
• IUCN Asia Regional office supported the Government of India with
preparing background papers for the High Level Segment
• IUCN Asia Regional Office and the IUCN India National Members
Committee held a number of successful side events
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Major Conservation Events
CBD COP 12, Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea
• IUCN Asia Regional Office collaborated with the Ministry of
Environment, Republic of Korea to support the High Level
Segment of the Conference
• IUCN supported preparation of session papers and Chair’s
Summary of the High Level Segment
• The Chair of Asia Regional Committee, Prof. Youngbae
Suh, serves as a Bureau Member of CBD SBSTTA for the
term of 2013-2015
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Thank you!
www.iucn.org
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