IUCN West Asia/ Middle East (WAME) Regional Office (formerly WESCANA) works within new geographical boundaries

24 September 2007

IUCN WAME Regional office

Having the strategic intent for enhancing the organizational capacity for IUCN secretariat worldwide and after the IUCN new regionalization and decentralization process, IUCN West Asia/ Middle East (WAME) Regional Office (formerly WESCANA) was configured. The WAME Region will cover membership and programmatic activities in the following twelve countries: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, Yemen and Iran. This regionalization and decentralization resulted in a much coherent and manageable Region. Also, the governance structures and socio-economic conditions in some countries necessitate the intervention at a national level in order to achieve the anticipated results and impact.  

This implies the need to develop a new strategy that addresses the new trends and realities in a changing world where private sector, energy industry and financial markets shape and influence sectoral policies at national, regional and global levels .

The WAME Regional Office will pursue the development and consolidation of its main and central programme portfolio with focus on water and drylands, protected areas and biodiversity, marine and the other emerging programmes as inspired by the new global thematic areas on poverty, equity and gender, climate change and energy and economy.

For more information, please contact Dr. Odeh Al-Jayyousi at: odeh.al.jayyousi@iucn.org