One month ahead of the World Conservation Congress the Chief Executive of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Jonathan Hughes, has written to over 1,300 IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) member organisations asking for their vote to help secure a second term on the IUCN Global Council.
Founded in 1948, IUCN is the world’s largest environmental body, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,300 government and non-governmental member organisations and some 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
Jonathan has been an IUCN Councillor for the past four years having been elected for the first time at the 2012 World Conservation Congress in South Korea. He has proven to be a very effective Councillor, chairing the IUCN Council’s Programme and Policy Committee, a role which has demanded sound judgement, excellent knowledge of local and global conservation issues and an inclusive style to ensure a full range of opinions are taken into consideration.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust has also benefited significantly from his position on the global Council, for example working closely with IUCN to deliver the World Forum on Natural Capital, which ran successfully in 2013 and 2015, attracting many hundreds of delegates from over 50 countries to Edinburgh, and helping shift the debate on natural capital from theory to real action.
If re-elected for a second term to IUCN Council Jonathan's top three priorities will be:
- To champion a ‘three-pillar’ approach to nature conservation focused on action for species, protected sites and ecosystems.
- To ensure the voices of IUCN members are strongly represented during Council meetings and within the Secretariat.
- To drive new thinking and practice within the IUCN so it remains relevant, respected and innovative as a Union.
In his letter to IUCN members, Jonathan Hughes said: “The big drivers of biodiversity loss include climate change, conversion of land for agriculture, land use intensification, marine overexploitation and an economic model focused on maximising financial flows rather than safeguarding the natural assets on which we all depend. Now is the time for IUCN to provide global leadership on addressing these systemic threats to nature.
“I have a proven track record of representing members’ interests within the Union. Most recently I have been very involved in developing a package of governance reforms which will enable Council to play a clearer role in providing strategic direction and exercising oversight for the Union on behalf of members.
“IUCN and the Scottish Wildlife Trust share the same mission, a mission I have devoted my professional career to, and remain hugely passionate in achieving. I look forward to dedicating my energy and drive for another four years to IUCN’s Council should I be re-elected.”
Stephanie Hilbourne OBE, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts said: “The Wildlife Trusts (under our old name the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves) was instrumental in the formation of IUCN. We remain passionately committed to the organisation. We have been delighted to have Jonathan playing such an important leadership role in IUCN to date and would be proud if he served a second term. I would like to commend Jonathan Hughes as an exceptionally well informed ecologist and highly committed ecological politician.”
Simon Stuart, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission said: “I would like to commend Jonny Hughes to you as a candidate for IUCN Council. Jonny has served as Regional Councillor since 2012, and he has played an exceptional role on Council, bringing deep strategic insights and great expertise in running an organization. He currently serves as Chair of the Council's Programme and Policy Committee and the Private Sector Task Force, and he has filled both roles with distinction.
“These roles are very difficult ones and require the dedication of a lot of time, which Jonny has given. With many Councillors stepping down this time, it is essential the the IUCN Council retains experienced people with strong leadership skills like Jonny, especially at a time when the conservation movement is facing great challenges and needs insightful, committed, strategic thinkers. I encourage all of you to vote for Jonny this September.”
Held once every four years, the IUCN World Conservation Congress brings together several thousand leaders and decision-makers from government, civil society, indigenous peoples, business, and academia, with the goal of conserving the environment and harnessing the solutions nature offers to global challenges.
The Congress aims to improve how we manage our natural environment for human, social and economic development, but this cannot be achieved by conservationists alone. The IUCN Congress is the place to put aside differences and work together to create good environmental governance, engaging all parts of society to share both the responsibilities and the benefits of conservation.
The next Congress will take place from 1 to 10 September 2016 in the Hawaiʻi Convention Centre, in the Hawaiian capital, Honolulu. It is being hosted by the State of Hawaiʻi with the support of the Department of State of the USA.