Story 24 Dec, 2025 our website Congress 2025: Key takeaways for our website in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
The 2025 World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi brought together over 10,000 participants from 189 countries. Organised with support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the event marked a major step for global conservation efforts. Key decisions were made, including the adoption of a new 20-year Strategic Vision and a four-year Programme to guide work until 2030.
The Congress saw the election of H.E. Razan Al Mubarak as the organisation’s President for the next four years. Delegates also adopted 144 Motions covering critical issues such as ecocide, synthetic biology, geoengineering, AI in conservation, and Indigenous stewardship. These motions will shape future policies and actions in biodiversity protection.
Regional engagement was a major focus. Armenia officially joined as a State Member, expanding the organisation’s reach in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. A National Committee was also established in Albania, further strengthening local involvement. The Together for Nature - IDEA Campaign and the organisation’s ENCA Pavilion served as central platforms for discussing regional biodiversity priorities and conservation strategies. Representatives from 37 member organisations across Eastern Europe and Central Asia attended, making up 79% of the region’s membership. The Europe, North and Central Asia Interregional Committee (ICENCA), active since 2022, played a key role in coordinating efforts. Priority programmes for the region now include expanding protected areas, scaling up Nature-based Solutions, assessing biodiversity status, and combating nature crime.
The Congress set clear directions for conservation work over the next two decades. With new leadership, expanded membership, and a detailed action plan, the organisation aims to tackle pressing environmental challenges. The decisions made will influence global and regional efforts to protect biodiversity and combat ecological threats.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
