IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

IUCN Washington D.C.

As the home of the U.S. Government as well as important international institutions such as the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, and the Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, D.C. represents a critical focus of IUCN’s efforts to influence global policy on conservation and sustainable development.

The IUCN Washington D.C. Office works with IUCN Members in the United States, global institutions, and the U.S. donor community to further conservation worldwide. It also supports IUCN’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York.

Fishing on Ang Soui Lake, Xe Champhone Wetland

Celebrating World Wetlands Day

Every year World Wetlands Day is celebrated on 2 February, marking the day of the adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 41 years ago in the Iranian city of Ramsar. This year the theme of World Wetlands Day is ‘Wetland Tourism, A Great Experience’. …

02 Feb 2012 | News story

Children in Anggra-Arfak Mountains, West Papua

The future we want - preparing for Rio+20

Preparations are gearing up for the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development that takes place in June, with the release of the so-called ‘zero draft’ of the conference’s outcome document. …

31 Jan 2012 | News story

New plant discovered in Fiji

A new flowering plant belonging to the Medinilla plant group has been discovered in the highlands of Matasawalevu village, on the island of Kadavu in Fiji. The plant was found during a biodiversity assessment of the Nakasaleka district carried out as part of IUCN’s Water and Nature Initiative (WANI). …

19 Jan 2012 | News story

Unveiling the secrets of the deep

Everyone knows the oceans are in a trouble but how can we properly protect them when we don’t know much about what lives within them? …

05 Jan 2012 | Article

World Wetlands Day photo celebration

Showcase the beauty of wetlands along with your talent! Submit your best photos to a World Wetlands Day photo celebration under this year’s theme “Wetlands Tourism: A Great Experience,” sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with the Ramsar Convention Secretariat and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). …

04 Jan 2012 | News story