The IUCN Members’ Assembly: Guiding Global Conservation Priorities
Every four years, IUCN Members exercise their rights to shape the Union’s priorities and conservation agenda through the IUCN World Conservation Congress. The process culminates in the Members’ Assembly, where Members vote on motions, elect the IUCN President and Council, and contribute to key decisions guiding global environmental action. Wetlands International actively participated in all these components.
Motions are central to how IUCN Members influence international conservation policy. Once adopted, they become Resolutions and Recommendations, forming the basis of IUCN’s policy framework. As the only global platform bringing together governments, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, the IUCN Members’ Assembly holds a unique and powerful mandate. Among this year’s adopted motions was Motion 130 – Strengthening protective measures for protected areas against unsustainable tourism development.
Motion 130 is particularly relevant for regions where protected areas face mounting tourism pressures. The motion:
- Reaffirms that IUCN Categories I and II prohibit large-scale infrastructure in core zones.
- Highlights the risks of poorly planned tourism, including habitat loss, pollution, and increased climate vulnerability.
- Calls on governments to prohibit damaging mass tourism infrastructure in highly protected areas and ensure that all tourism activities undergo proper environmental and social assessments.
- Requests updates to IUCN’s tourism guidelines and promotes capacity-building and partnerships to support sustainable tourism practices.
- Encourages the development of legal indicators to monitor compliance better and strengthen accountability.
Motion 130 provides an important framework for countries and protected area managers seeking to reconcile tourism development with biodiversity conservation—particularly in sensitive Mediterranean wetlands and coastal ecosystems.
Motion 130 Strengthening protective measures for protected areas against unsustainable tourism development: adopted
