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The list of international organizations headquartered in Switzerland is long and impressive: the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross, UEFA, FIFA and the World Wildlife Fund, to name a few. An extremely important organization is also based in Switzerland, even if they know far fewer people than, for example, UEFA and FIFA. We are talking about the IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, also known as the World Organization for Conservation of Nature.
The IUCN is a huge umbrella organization with over 1,400 members. Members are not meant to be individuals, but rather the state or ministry (eg the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment), another non-governmental organization (eg Pro Natura), and representatives of indigenous peoples. All 1400 participants have one thing in common: they want to protect nature with all its complexity and facets. An important tool, perhaps the best known of these, is the Red List Threat Levels. On behalf of the IUCN, scientists assess the status of animal or plant species and classify them on the Red List from “Least Concern” to “Disappeared”.
This Red List is an important tool for our zoo community. Threat levels help us decide which endangered species need special help from reserve populations in zoos. In compiling the Red List and all its other tasks, IUCN can rely on a huge network of experts. 16,000 people work as volunteers in various commissions and groups. They are often organized taxonomically and contain huge abbreviations. IUCN SSC WPSG stands for SSC, Species Survival Commission. Behind the WPSG are the world’s wild pig specialists: the Wild Pig Specialist Group.
Other groups focus on specific regions of the world or conservation areas. For example, the IUCN SSC CTSG is working on a concept for successfully moving animals from one area to another. It is advertised as the “Conservation and Relocation Specialist Group”. The work of the SSC with its Red List is only a small part of the large portfolio of the World Conservation Organization. Numerous other commissions also contribute to nature conservation through their work.
The Zurich Zoo has been a member of the IUCN since this year. We would like to support important work and effectively use our many years of experience in the field of nature and species conservation. Since Easter weekend, we’ve been providing updates on the work of our global conservation projects at our new Zoo Conservation Center. We have been committed to conservation in eight different projects, some of which have lasted for decades. This accumulated experience will help us to be an active member of the World Conservation Organization.
Source: Blick
I am David Miller, a highly experienced news reporter and author for 24 Instant News. I specialize in opinion pieces and have written extensively on current events, politics, social issues, and more. My writing has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and BBC News. I strive to be fair-minded while also producing thought-provoking content that encourages readers to engage with the topics I discuss.
