The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It was created in 1948 and is now the worlds largest and most diverse environmental network, with over 1,400 member organizations and 15,000 experts. IUCNs mission is to "influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable".
IUCN is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, and education. It provides knowledge and tools critical for ensuring that human progress, economic development, and nature conservation take place together. IUCN Commissions are networks of scientists and experts providing IUCN and its Members with technical and policy advice to drive conservation and sustainable development. IUCNs activities are organized into several theme-based programs ranging from business and biodiversity to forest preservation to water and wetlands conservation.
IUCNs work is guided by a global program, which is adopted by member organizations every four years at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. The organization supports and participates in environmental scientific research, promotes and helps implement national conservation legislation, policies, and practices, and operates or manages thousands of field projects worldwide. IUCN maintains the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, a comprehensive assessment of the current risk of extinction of thousands of plant and animal species.
IUCN has observer and consultative status at the United Nations and plays a role in the implementation of several international conventions on nature conservation and biodiversity. It was involved in establishing the World Wide Fund for Nature and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. However, IUCN has been criticized in the past for placing the interests of nature over those of indigenous peoples, and its closer relations with the business sector have caused controversy.
