INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

Report and Update from the Chair, IUCN Asia Regional Members Committee

Presentation to the Asia Regional Conservation ForumAugust 10, 2015 Bangkok, Thailand

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• Subsequent to 2012 WCC in Jeju, Pakistan became an integral part of IUCN’s South and East Asia statutory region based on the amendments to the relevant Statutes

• This also resulted in the addition of elected Regional Councilor seats increasing from 3 to 5 in the South and East Asia Region

Governance Related Updates

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Second largest statutory membership region • Membership has grown from 189 Members in Sep 2011

to 259 members as of date– State Member: Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Royal

Government of Bhutan; Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism, Government of Mongolia

– Government Agency Member: 2 Members from Sri Lanka - Ministry of Agriculture, Agrarian Development, Minor Irrigation, Industries and Environment, Department of National Zoological Gardens;1 Member from Pakistan - Sindh Coastal Development Authority, Planning & Development Department, Government of Sindh; and 1 Member from the Republic of Korea - Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation

– INGO Member: 1 Member from Thailand - International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB)

– Affiliate Member: 1 affiliate Member from the People’s Republic of China - Mt. Huangshan Scenic Area Administrative Committee

Membership Trends

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–NGO Member: 23 Members from the Republic of Korea, 15 Members from Pakistan, 13 Members from India, 9 Members from the People’s Republic of China, 4 members each from Bangladesh and Nepal, 3 Members each from Japan and Thailand, 2 Members each from Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam, 1 Member each from Bhutan, Lao PDR and the Philippines

Membership Trends

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• IUCN President presented his vision for IUCN including options for strengthening the Union

• A Special Session on implementation of WCC-Jeju-Res 10 related to strengthening IUCN's overall presence in Asia including its sub-regional components was held

• Excellent feedback and comments were received on strengthening programmatic presence from members of Asia Regional Members Committee which Asia Secretariat have incorporated into a draft strategy

• There were discussion also on the roles and function of the Regional Committee and its Office Bearers, Fundraising for the activities of the Regional Committee and the use of the Union Portal

• Updates from national committees, member representatives from countries without National Committees, Commission Representatives and also Regional Councillors were provided

Asia Regional Members Committee Meeting, August 2014

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• Thailand National Committee during the period witnessed the joining of the State Member and then assuming the Chair of the National Committee

• Bangladesh National Committee has a new Chair, Dr Hasna J. Moudud, Executive Director, Coastal Area Resource Development and Management Association

• Sri Lanka National Committee also has a new Chair, Mr Anura Sathurusinghe, Conservation General of Forests

• Vietnam National Committee has now been formally established

• IUCN Members in the Philippines have expressed interest in establishing a National Committee

Key Activities related to National Committees

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Japan National Committee• Encourage stakeholders to commit actions related

to 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets through the "Double 20 campaign" (Nijyu-maru Project in Japanese). The number of commitments has reached 350 activities by 240 partners including IUCN member, business, local governments, research and education and other NGOs.  

Key Activities related to National Committees

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Korea National Committee• Members’ dialogue with Director General, Ms. Inger

Anderson, during World Leaders’ Conservation Forum, which was held in Jeju, Korea, 7-9 July 2015.

• World Leaders’ Conservation Forum is a follow-up measure to implement promises stated in the Jeju Declaration announced during 2012 IUCN World Conservation Congress in Jeju

• Eight Projects to implement Resolutions and Recommendations adopted in 2012 WCC

Key Activities related to National Committees

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Sri Lanka National Committee• National Committee in Sri Lanka provided an

excellent platform to identify policy and other critical environment issues in the country.

• This helped IUCN to: – Bring both Govt. of India and Sri Lanka to discuss

about fishing and marine resource management issues in Gulf of Mannar basin, based on the IUCN led studies on Indian and Sri Lanka seascapes with the support of MFF funding

– The National Committee, together with IUCN Secretariat office, has provided advice and guidance on developing an approach to strengthen environmental assessments including the EIA processes in the country

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Key Activities related to National Committees

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Nepal National Committee• IUCN-NNC members are working together to support the

reconstruction process after the Nepal earthquake specifically related to biodiversity conservation

• The Nepal National Committee drew attention of the Government of Nepal towards conserving the threatened floral species Yartsa Gunbu (Cordyceps sinensis) in the wild

• Advocacy and facilitation on environmental agendas for Constitution members including providing recommendation on controlling illegal wildlife trade of rhino horn

• Facilitated  all six IUCN Commission members meetings and workshops

Key Activities related to National Committees

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India National Committee• Workshop on National Biodiversity Targets, New

Delhi, June 26-27, 2014: Twenty six members of the Indian National Committee participated in two day workshop. The participants were apprised of India's 5th National Report to the CBD and India's National Biodiversity Targets. The participants worked in a group to prepare a road map for achieving Aichi Targets as indicated in India Report to CBD

• Participation of INC-IUCN in CoP-11, Hyderabad, October 1-19, 2012: INC-IUCN was given the responsibility to showcase the activities of member organizations Four booths were arranged for INC–IUCN

Key Activities related to National Committees

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Asia Parks Congress• The first ever Asia Parks Congress hosted by IUCN State Member,

Government of Japan was held in Sendai Prefecture of Japan in November 2013

– One of the major outcomes of the APC was the establishment of the Asia Protected Areas Partnership

CBD COP 11• IUCN Asia Regional members and the Asia Secretariat effectively

participated at the CBD COP 11 meeting held in Hyderabad, India• IUCN Asia Regional office supported the Government of India with

preparing background papers for the High Level Segment• IUCN Asia Regional Office and the IUCN India National Members

Committee held a number of successful side events

Major Conservation Events

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CBD COP 12, Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea

• IUCN Asia Regional Office collaborated with the Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea to support the High Level Segment of the Conference

• IUCN supported preparation of session papers and Chair’s Summary of the High Level Segment

• The Chair of Asia Regional Committee, Prof. Youngbae Suh, serves as a Bureau Member of CBD SBSTTA for the term of 2013-2015

Major Conservation Events

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Thank you!

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