Ulaanbaatar
World Conservation Congress Taking Place in Abu Dhabi
Politics
Ulaanbaatar, October 13, 2025
/MONTSAME/. The “World
Conservation Congress”, organized every four years by the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is taking place under the auspices of His
Majesty Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab
Emirates, from October 9 to 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
According to the Ministry of
Environment and Climate Change (MECC), over 10,000 representatives from governments,
civil society organizations, indigenous peoples, international organizations,
research and analysis institutions, and the private sector from more than 160
countries worldwide participated.
This event is notable for
expanding cooperation related to Mongolia’s good practices in nature
conservation and the COP17 conference. The official opening ceremony of the
Congress was opened by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive
Council. The opening ceremony was attended by Surangel Whipps, President of the
Republic of Palau, Princess Lalla Hasna of the Kingdom of Morocco, Juan Carlos Navarro,
Minister of Environment of the Republic of Panama, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema,
Deputy Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, Razan Khalifa Al
Mubarak, IUCN President, and Dr. Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General, who
highlighted the need to increase collective efforts to protect ecosystems and
biodiversity.
Razan Khalifa
Al Mubarak, IUCN President, stated,
“The decisions taken this week will determine whether we meet the moment with
courage and cooperation. If we succeed, this Congress will show that science,
inclusion, and shared purpose can still guide humanity toward a future where
both people and nature thrive.”
Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN
Director General, stated, “Together,
we can send a powerful message to the world: that change is possible, that
unity is stronger than division, and that a thriving planet and a world that
values and conserves nature is within our reach.”
One of the main activities of
the Congress is the Members’ Assembly, which adopts key proposals, official
resolutions, and recommendations of the IUCN, thereby defining the fundamental
direction of global development policy and all environmental issues.
Representatives from the MECC, the COP17 Secretariat, the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature Mongolia Office, GIZ Mongolia, and representatives of children and youth are representing Mongolia at the event.
