Species experts’ meeting concludes with Declaration that saving species is integral to protecting nature
For Immediate Release - October 31, 2024
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 31 October 2024 (IUCN) – The 5th IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Leaders' Meeting concluded in Abu Dhabi with conservation experts and leaders issuing a powerful declaration affirming that “Saving Species Sustains Life”. This landmark gathering brought together more than 300 conservation leaders to address the urgently needed interconnected solutions to protect biodiversity, stabilise climate, and support human well-being.
The declaration issued by SSC members and partners conveys the critical role of species in ensuring clean water, food security, cultural connections, economic stability, and social justice. It calls on diverse sectors—including governments, businesses, Indigenous peoples and local communities, religious groups, and individuals—to prioritise species conservation within their actions, strategies, and giving, recognising that protecting animals, fungi, and plants is fundamental to sustaining life on earth.
Read the rest of the release and view the declaration in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Arabic, and Chinese on the IUCN website: https://bit.ly/SSCLeadersMeeting2024-Declaration