INBO at the IUCN World Congress in Abu Dhabi
From 9 to 15 October 2025, Abu Dhabi hosted the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the leading international meeting on nature conservation. Around 10,000 participants from the worlds of science, politics and civil society came together to set the course for global nature conservation policy for the next twenty years and to share knowledge and practical experiences.
During the congress, IUCN launched several important new initiatives:
- a report on support for agriculture, biodiversity and trade
- a new Red List update for European wild pollinators
- the second edition of the Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions
- and the first global policy on synthetic biology and nature conservation
The addition of more than 100 new members, including three Belgian organisations (Belgium now has 25 members), received a lot of attention.
IUCN members voted on 148 motions intended to stimulate action on global challenges in the context of nature conservation. Through Joachim Mergeay, INBO played an important role as sponsor of the motion on genetic diversity, which was approved by an overwhelming majority. This motion will lead to the establishment of an international task force that will develop a global standard for assessing and monitoring genetic diversity in wild and domesticated species.
The congress also marked the end of our Administrator-General's term as IUCN Councillor and Vice-President (2016–2025). In that role, Hilde Eggermont contributed to the strategic direction, the science-based programme and the governance of the Union. She also helped chair the congress in Abu Dhabi.
Image above: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou