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PRESS RELEASE

JORDAN TO HOST GLOBAL CONSERVATION CONGRESS

AMMAN, Jordan, 26 June 1999 -- The first global conservation gathering of the next millennium will be held in Jordan from 4 to 11 October 2000. Speaking at a press conference, Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, Patron of IUCN stated that "Jordan welcomes the world’s conservation community to gather here for the IUCN World Conservation Congress". The announcement followed the signature of a memorandum of agreement between the Jordanian Government and Dr. Maritta R. von Bieberstein Koch-Weser, Director General of IUCN-The World Conservation Union.

"IUCN’s Congress brings together IUCN’s 953 Member organisations from 140 countries into a unique gathering of States, government agencies and non-governmental groups," Dr. Koch-Weser explained. Providing a public forum for debate and decisions on key environmental issues, IUCN’s World Conservation Congress assembles the sovereign governing body of the world’s biggest environmental organisation. The last World Conservation Congress, held in Montreal in November 1996, was the biggest gathering of environmental experts and decision-makers since the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. Amman will be the venue at which key environmental agendas for the next century will be discussed and set.

The Amman Congress will focus on the link between the conservation of natural resources and security, Dr. Koch-Weser announced. "It will explore how peace and socio-economic stability can be promoted through transboundary co-operation." The Congress participants will look at how co-ordinated management of entire ecosystems, particularly those that include such crucial and sensitive areas as upper watersheds, can contribute to the wellbeing of downstream populations across whole regions.

Jordan and IUCN have a long history of co-operation, particularly through this country’s strong and active IUCN National Committee. Jordan was among the world’s first countries to ratify several global conventions drafted by IUCN, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Convention to Combat Desertification.

Environment and security was the focus of IUCN’s 50^th anniversary, celebrated in France last year, where Her Majesty Queen Noor, French President Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and numerous other heads of state and government recognised IUCN’s role in providing the expertise and convening power to mediate in environmental conflicts.

For more information contact:

At IUCN Headquarters: Javed Ahmad, Director of Communications;
Tel: +41 22 999 0001, Fax: +41 22 999 0010, E-mail: press@hq.iucn.org

This press release and general information on IUCN is also available on http://www.iucn.org