Eleven years after the first International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SCC) Leaders’ Meeting held in Al Ain in 2008, the leadership of the IUCN and SSC will meet again from 6 to 9 October to discuss the functioning, growth and integration of species conservation work.

Hosted by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, with an expected attendance of over 350 experts from around the world, the meeting will gather leaders in species conservation from IUCN SSC, IUCN Secretariat, other IUCN Commissions, UAE-based conservationists, SSC partners, members of academia along with other experts from the field.

“Consolidated as a central feature of planning, thinking and cooperating within SSC and with the other components of the Union and beyond, the meeting will provide an invaluable opportunity to strengthen our collaborations and teamwork for improving the status of species worldwide,” said Jon Paul Rodríguez, IUCN Species Survival Commission Chair.

“This meeting is vital in ensuring that species conservation efforts across the IUCN network and the world are evaluated, with the aim of identifying gaps and areas in which we should be focusing our efforts on over the next few years,” stressed Jane Smart, Global Director of the IUCN Biodiversity Conservation Group and Director of the IUCN Global Species Programme.

An ambitious agenda was designed to strengthen and empower the SSC network to deliver species’ assessments, conservation plans and actions. The critical meeting will also guide SSC future work, in the context of the IUCN Programme, the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals.

“EAD has a long-standing partnership with IUCN and hosting these leaders of the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission (SSC) in Abu Dhabi is a perfect example of the emphasis we place on species conservation, locally as well as globally,” said Ahmed Al Hashmi, Acting Executive Director, Terrestrial & Marine Biodiversity Sector, EAD.

The meeting will include plenaries to learn from success stories in species conservation, discussions on how to expand conservation planning, strengthen sustainable use of biodiversity and envision the future role of the SSC network.

Multiple symposia, discussion and training sessions will cover a range of topics including the 2021-2024 IUCN Species Strategic Plan, engaging on international treaties, species monitoring, wildlife health, conservation genetics, species conservation translocations, human-wildlife conflicts, as well as invasive species.

Ways to conserve Arabian species will also be discussed during the “Species Conservation in the UAE – Achievements and Challenges” seminar. It will allow UAE-based conservations to share the UAE’s efforts in species conservation and give them a platform to discuss local challenges with international experts.

The meeting is expected to produce a declaration emphasising conservation action for species as a shared responsibility calling on countries to adopt and implement an effective post-2020 global species target.

The meeting will take place at the Beach Rotana Hotel in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.

For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

IUCN Species Survival Commission:

Aritzaith Rodríguez, +54 9 11 2386 5487

Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD):

Sobhia El Masri, +97150 442-5096

About the IUCN Species Survival Commission

With over 9,000 members, the Species Survival Commission (SSC) is the largest of the six expert commissions of IUCN and enables IUCN to influence, encourage and assist societies to conserve biodiversity by building knowledge on the status and threats to species, providing advice, developing policies and guidelines, facilitating conservation planning, and catalysing conservation action.

www.iucn.org/theme/species/about/species-survival-commission or follow IUCN SSC on Facebook and Twitter

About the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi

Established in 1996, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) is committed to protecting and enhancing air quality, groundwater as well as the biodiversity of our desert and marine ecosystem. By partnering with other government entities, the private sector, NGOs and global environmental agencies, we embrace international best practice, innovation and hard work to institute effective policy measures. We seek to raise environmental awareness, facilitate Sustainable Development and ensure environmental issues remain one of the top priorities of our national agenda.

www.ead.ae or follow EAD on Facebook and Twitter