IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Taking place once every four years, the IUCN Congress is the world's largest and most important conservation event. It brings together government leaders, NGOs and top professionals from all regions with a variety of on-the-ground expertise. The Congress is the birthplace of ground-breaking environmental conventions, scientific discoveries and global initiatives.

This year’s Congress theme is Nature+, which captures the fundamental importance of nature and its inherent link to every aspect of our lives. Strengthening the robustness of nature will help ecosystems be more resilient, improving the health of people, communities and economies. Nature+ is all about sharing knowledge on how our natural environment should be managed for the continued wellbeing of humanity and all life on Earth.

The Congress will be an opportunity to engage in and continue discussions on ways to move the sustainable development agenda forward after the Earth Summit in Rio and will anticipate debates of the upcoming Convention of Biological Diversity Conference in India this October. These international events are crucial for Europe as their recommendations and outcomes will feed into European legislation and advances. The Congress is also a great opportunity for Members to get together to discuss and approve the new IUCN Programme.

Lots of workshops and other events during the Congress Forum will address biodiversity and related issues from a European perspective. IUCN Regional Office for Europe, European Members, Committees and Commissions will organize several debates, presentations and other events giving the opportunity to learn more about current activities.

Between now and the Congress, this page will be updated every week with information on what is planned and will highlight many events organized by European Members, Committees and Commission members.