IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

IUCN has built much of its reputation on having a strong foundation in science. However, we also realize that science can be used in different ways by different groups and that scientific investigation is not the only way of generating knowledge.

Traditional and local knowledge, the knowledge held by resource managers and users who are interacting with biodiversity on a daily basis, play a key part in conservation. And for IUCN, knowledge also includes the development and use of the methods and tools to acquire it. IUCN’s ‘core business’, is managing knowledge for biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.

IUCN takes a broad-based approach to generating and disseminating knowledge. It draws on research, field testing and validation of new ideas; analysis of lessons and case studies; direct observation; lessons learned by monitoring, evaluation and reflection on the impacts of its past actions; and participatory processes, including dialogues, debates and workshops with different interest groups. This approach is in tune with calls from new scientific communities and wider social movements in support of more pluralistic approaches to defining environmental problems and solutions.

For IUCN, knowledge must lead to empowerment. By empowerment we mean the process of building capacities as well as instilling a sense of responsibility and motivation that enables people and institutions to plan, manage, conserve and use natural resources in a sustainable and equitable manner to achieve their objectives.

IUCN realizes that true empowerment can only be achieved by individuals themselves but there is a critical role to create an enabling environment for empowerment by:

• Education, training and skill development;
• Raising awareness and building capacity;
• Facilitating exchange of experiences; and
• Providing opportunities for all stakeholders to participate in
  decision-making.

Empowerment frequently implies the democratization of decision-making and greater community involvement in resource management. Many of IUCN’s projects have demonstrated real gains for both communities and biodiversity through the devolution of power.

However, IUCN recognises that social groups are simply not equal in power and influence. Environmental conservation may require positive measures in favour of marginalized groups (poor rural women, indigenous peoples) who lack access to decision-making processes which affect their lives, or who have difficulty in making their voices heard in resource dialogues and negotiations.

Governance is not the province of governments alone, it includes informal institutional arrangements such as voluntary codes of conduct for private businesses, professional procedures and partnerships among all sectors. An essential element of these is that they mobilize diverse constituencies to agree on common goals and help achieve them. The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation described good governance as being ‘essential for sustainable development’.

To be most effective at all levels – local, national, regional, and global – governance should be mutually reinforcing. If the capacity for governance is weak at any level, this will undermine results. At the global level, this means that all states, large and small, should be able to take part effectively. It is also essential to bring civil society and business into intergovernmental decision-making and create new opportunities for innovative partnerships while recognizing the rights of nation-states.

IUCN believes that governance should be based on the principles of:

• Transparency – openness in decision-making
• Access to information and justice – accurate, effective and open communication
• Public participation – genuine involvement in decision-making
• Coherence – a consistent approach
• Subsidiarity – decisions taken at the lowest level appropriate
• Respect for human rights – interwoven with ‘good’ environmental governance
• Accountability – for economic, social and environmental performance
• Rule of Law – fair, transparent and consistent enforcement of legal provisions at all levels.

IUCN strives to follow these standards in its conservation activities. It seeks to establish a dialogue among stakeholders at all levels. It supports decision-making being put into the hands of local people wherever possible. It works to spread knowledge and understanding of environmental processes throughout local and global society.