The last few years have seen a welcome turn around in the fortunes of the Seychelles white-eye, thanks to the success of the Seychelles white-eye Recovery Programme, led by Dr Gérard Rocamora, a member of SSC’s Reintroduction Specialist Group.

Africa is the primary range of the lion Panthera leo, however living closely to lions poses hardship for many African communities. IUCN -The World Conservation Union, together with its Species Survival Commission, the Cat Specialist Group, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Africa Resources Trust, is holding a series of regional and Africa-wide lion management workshops. This initiative will allow range states, lion specialists, and other stakeholders to discuss lion threats and develop conservation recommendations, whilst establishing closer cooperation amongst Africans for the conservation of the species.

The State Forestry Administration of China recently initiated its first ever Forest Dialogue Forum on issues related to China’s forest management. IUCN was invited to present their expertise on forest law enforcement and governance (FLEG), and forest landscape restoration (FLR). About 90 people from over 20 government agencies, NGOs, international aid agencies, and embassies participated in this two-day meeting, which was held from August 3 to 4, in Beijing.

Conservation needs all the help it can get. On the beautiful Mauritian island of Ile aux Aigrettes, some unlikely assistance is being provided by giant tortoises which are happily dining on invasive weeds that are threatening the island’s natural balance. Ile aux Aigrettes, a 26ha offshore islet, harbours Mauritius's last remnant of coastal ebony forest but is under constant threat of degradation from invasive plant species.

IUCN's Global Marine Programme and the IUCN Regional Office for South America (SUR) are pleased to announce the launch of a dedicated marine section on the regional website. This new section brings together regional marine news stories, information on local IUCN activities, and related publications and documents. As part of its aim to strengthen communication and outreach in the region, IUCN is calling on IUCN members as well as Commission members to use the interface and contribute to it.

The IUCN Forest Conservation Programme recently launched a new book “Poverty and Conservation: Landscapes, People and Power” which highlights the need to address economic and social objectives in conservation work. The book is printed by an FSC certified printer, the industry stamp of approval for environmentally and socially responsible forest products.

En 1994, La Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas declaró el 9 de Agosto como el Día Internacional de los Pueblos Indígenas. Diez años después, en la Asamblea del 2004, se proclamó el Segundo Decenio Internacional de los Pueblos Indígenas (2004-2014) y se decidió continuar con la celebración internacional de esta fecha con el fin de alentar a las instituciones y gobiernos a destinar recursos y acciones positivas en beneficio de los pueblos indígenas del mundo.

The IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM), recently held its first meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with a significantly renewed Steering Committee. The Commission meeting will result in exciting new work on issues such as the valuation of ecosystem services and the application of an ecosystem approach to disaster prevention and post-disaster restoration.

A group of experts from the World Commission on Protected Areas - the Marine Mediterranean Group in cooperation with the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, is working together on a process aiming to implement a region-wide system of ecologically and culturally representative networks.

The World Conservation Union took centre stage last weekend at two concerts performed by Iruka, Japanese singer and IUCN goodwill ambassador in Kawaguchi-city and Ohsaka-city, Japan. The world renowned entertainer spoke to audiences of over 2000 people about the importance of nature conservation and the protection of natural landscapes.

The World Conservation Union’s Programme Office for Central Europe released an assessment report entitled “Implementation of Natura 2000 in New EU Member States of Central Europe”. The main goal of nature conservation on a European Union level, is the successful implementation of a European Ecological Network - Natura 2000.