The End of a Quadrennium – the IUCN World Conservation Congress

The IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) took place in Abu Dhabi from October 9-15, 2025. The WCC marked the end of IUCN’s  most recent 4-year cycle, or quadrennium. It included five days of exhibition and a forum, run in parallel, and a 3-day Members’ Assembly. The Cetacean Specialist Group took part, represented by Co-chair Gianna Minton and four other CSG members. The CSG hosted a booth with the theme of Conservation Planning and Action for Cetaceans.

Booth at the IUCN WCC under the theme of Conservation Planning and Action for Cetaceans, featuring core messages about the importance of collaboration.

The exhibition and forum were attended by more than 10,000 people, with numerous presentations, panel discussions, and side meetings taking place in parallel from 8am to 9pm each day. CSG members contributed to sessions on Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs), cetacean conservation, impacts of non-selective fisheries on marine life, connectivity, how the Red List can help protect deep sea biodiversity, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Ocean Initiative, and advancing Marine Conservation through Research, Literacy, and Policy.

Our booth attracted a steady flow of traffic, with an energetic team of local volunteers from the UAE Dolphin Project helping to answer questions and share information prepared for the booth. Materials on display included this flyer featuring the work of the CSG and regional species-specific initiatives for some of the most endangered cetaceans, and this concept note outlining the CSG’s plans to develop a new Global Cetacean Action Plan during the next quadrennium.

While the majority of visitors to our booth were fellow scientists and conservationists interested in learning more about cetaceans and how to incorporate them into their own work, a number of potential donors and policy makers from all over the globe also visited the booth and gained insight into the most pressing conservation needs for cetaceans, and how the CSG and its members and partners are addressing them. Hopefully the connections made during the WCC will lead to meaningful support and collaborations in the coming months and years.

Cetacean Specialist Group members participating in the WCC, from left to right – Andy Willson, Robert Baldwin, Gianna Minton, Liz Slooten, and Ada Natoli.

The booth also served as a meeting point and hub for partners from the Arabian Sea Whale Network (ASWN), the Consortium for the Conservation of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (CCAHD), and the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin Network (HuDoNet), all of which were well-represented at the WCC and able to promote and strengthen their regional collaborations and initiatives.

The WCC ended with three days of formal voting and meetings for IUCN’s 1,400+ members from over 170 countries. Members voted on new leadership and a series of motions proposed by members, intended to guide conservation action in the 2026-2029 quadrennium. The IUCN as a whole adopted a new 20-year strategic plan and 4-year work programme. Vivek Menon was elected as the new Chair of the Species Survival Commission (SSC), the Commission under which the CSG and all other taxonomic specialist groups operate, and the SSC launched its own Species Strategic Plan 2026–2029.

The booth served as a focal point for regional cetacean conservation initiatives, including the draft Conservation Management Plan for the Arabian Sea humpback whale (left), the Arabian Sea Whale Network (Center), and the Consortium for the Conservation of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (right).

The Nuremberg Zoo generously provided funding for the booth, CSG member Ada Natoli organized the volunteers from the UAE Dolphin Project who staffed the booth ably throughout the exhibition, and  Juariah Muhamed designed the back wall and front counter of the booth. Juariah also created this 20-minute video/slide show for the screen at the back of the booth, which beautifully illustrates some of the work of the CSG and its partners.

CSG members participated in presentations and panels.

A huge thanks to the local team of volunteers from the UAE Dolphin Project who staffed the booth, which attracted a steady flow of visitors!