UICN - Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature

United Kingdom National Committee of IUCN Members

01 August 2012 | Article

This report summarises some of the main activities and achievements of the IUCN National Committee for the United Kingdom and some of its members over the last 12 months. We also take the opportunity to highlight some of our planned activities for the year ahead. I hope you find this informative and you will be encouraged to find out more about our work and get more actively involved.

The below text is taken from the foreword of the report of the United Kingdom National Committee of IUCN Members. You can read the full report here.

The National Committee has focused its activities over the last three years to support delivery of the IUCN Global Programme which was adopted at the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona in 2009. With limited resources our emphasis has been on providing a UK platform for sharing and formulating ideas through our programme of meetings and conferences. These have proven to be well attended across the public, private and voluntary sectors bringing people together that have significant influence over the future of the UKs natural environment. The UK National Committee has also been involved at the ‘chalk face’ overseeing two innovative and influential projects, one on peatland conservation, the other on mapping of protected areas. Both these projects have created significant outreach for the IUCN in the UK and well beyond and both have achieved much in the last year.

Members of the National Committee have represented the IUCN at a wide range of meetings, conferences, projects and programmes from the vast wild peatlands of the Flow country in northern Scotland to classrooms on the Turks & Caicos Islands to the icy tundra of South Georgia.

Throughout this period the National Committee has been chaired by Chris Mahon. Chris has shown great leadership and enthusiasm and I am delighted to say that Chris will be taking on the new role of Chief Executive for the National Committee from 1st May 2012. Thank you Chris for all you have done and I look forward to working with you over the next four years to see us achieve even more.

Thank you also to the members of the National Committee, our members and the wide range of
supporters who have helped us to achieve something positive for nature in the last year. It’s only right that from time to time we stop and take stock of the things we have achieved as well as the challenges that lie ahead. Ultimately though we are here to make progress and help deliver the ambitions of the IUCN in the United Kingdom. The mantra for the National Committee is that we exist to ‘do’ not to ‘be’. Please get in touch if you wish to join us and get involved.

Stuart Brooks
Chair, United Kingdom National Committee of IUCN Members