Mission Blue Dives into the 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress

October 31, 2025

(ABU DHABI, UAE) – Last week, Mission Blue team members including Dr. Sylvia Earle and Chief Scientist Dr. Tessa Hempson attended the IUCN World Conservation Congress (IUCN WCC). The IUCN WCC occurs only every four years, and represents a significant opportunity for nature conservationists, decision-makers, and leaders to come together to develop and set benchmarks for global priorities in conservation.

Our goals at Mission Blue are to continue the work from the UN Ocean Conference in Nice. This includes affirming the One Ocean Partnership, supporting aligning motions through co-sponsorship and voting (see below), and continuing to build a network that is ready to turn high level ambition into impact for ocean protection. 

About the One Ocean Partnership, Dr. Tessa Hempson says, “The One Ocean Partnership isn’t about creating something new — it’s about bringing us together. It’s about aligning the ocean conservation community and partners across sectors to turn high-level ambition into real action, and to deliver on the goals we’ve collectively set for the ocean.”

This year’s IUCN WCC is driven by five key themes, and representatives from over 1400 civil society, government, and Indigenous peoples’ Member organizations have come together at the IUCN WCC in Abu Dhabi to vote on motions put forth to guide humankind’s relationship with planetary health. Nearly 140 motions are being brought forward for consideration. Reflecting our powerful advocacy for ocean protection, Mission Blue is co-sponsoring 10 motions. 

Motion #35: Protection of mesopelagic ecosystem integrity

Put forward by the Ocean Conservancy, this motion highlights the urgent need to safeguard mesopelagic ecosystems. Also known as the twilight zone, the mesopelagic zone is found at ocean depths between 650-3300 feet. It is critical for climate regulation, oceanic food webs, and other ecosystem services, and is currently threatened by destructive practices such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and seabed mining. This motion encourages a precautionary pause on expanding or implementing potentially harmful oceanic activities without the necessary research and legal frameworks to minimize damage. 

Motion #37: Fourth Global Bleaching Event: Urgent action to reduce the risk of catastrophic loss of the world’s coral reefs

Healthy coral reefs are essential to planetary health. They provide habitat for 25% of all known marine species, safeguard coastlines from storm surge, and provide the equivalent of $9.9 trillion U.S. dollars in ecosystem services annually. This motion puts forth the urgent need to increase protection, monitoring, conservation, research and more for coral reefs on a global scale. 

Motion #118: Conservation of the critically endangered scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) and its look-a-like species the smooth hammerhead shark (S. zygaena) and great hammerhead (S. mokaran)

Led by Cocos Island Hope Spot Champion Randall Arauz, this motion drives strong protection for several hammerhead shark species. Increasing enforcement to stop IUU fishing and boosting CITES status would be a major step towards reversing the declining populations of these important species. 

Motion #137: Defining Nature for IUCN’s future (inclusion of Geodiversity)

This motion recognizes the need for fair and equitable inclusion in biodiversity finance. If passed, it integrates a human-rights based approach to biodiversity finance, incorporating environmental, social, and human-rights based approaches. It would also provide “ direct, flexible and sustained funding to Indigenous peoples and Local communities, women, girls and youth.” 

Motion #126: Advancing Citizen Science to Support and Democratize Conservation

Citizen science is essential to effective conservation. It provides crucial and widespread data, strengthens the connection between communities and local ecosystems, and can support legal enforcement. Given the prevalence of community science participants, it’s important to maintain consistent standards through a comprehensive strategy and action plan, including protocols for defender and whistleblower protection, and to invite “Indigenous peoples, local communities, rangers and civil society to actively engage in citizen science.”

Motion #55: Recognition of the rights of AntarcticaAntarctica, including the Southern Ocean, is a keystone support to other ecosystems on Earth. Its role is indispensable to the health of the planet, and it’s critical that it’s protected. Although there are several treaties and agreements in place, this motion acknowledges that the Antarctic continues to deteriorate and asks IUCN to consider the idea of fundamental rights for Antarctica. In recognizing inherent rights for Antarctica, it would elevate the duties of humankind to protect the region and associated ecosystems. 

Motion #59: Advancing actions to combat plastic pollution to protect human and environmental health

Plastic production is surging, driving a frightening increase in plastic waste, severely threatening biodiversity, human health, and climate. Current protocols and solutions are not enough to stem the waste; there is an urgent need for a legally binding global agreement that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics. This motion would encourage a global treaty that includes mandatory plastics production reduction. 

Motion #115: Actions to avert the extinction of Rice’s whale (Balaenoptera ricei)

With only about 50 remaining individuals, the Rice’s whale is one of the most endangered whales in the world. These critically endangered whales inhabit the Gulf of Mexico, where threats include vessel strikes, noise pollution, and oil spills. Protection for these whales is inadequate, and this motion calls for a multinational action plan to safeguard them and their habitat. 

Motion #145: Reaffirming IUCN’s commitment to multilateralism and global cooperation

Although climate disasters can happen in isolated occurrences, such as environmental degradation, extreme weather, and ecosystem decline, challenges from a changing climate have international impacts. This motion calls on members of the IUCN to affirm that multilateral cooperation is essential to addressing global challenges and biodiversity, as well as making significant progress in international law and policy frameworks. 

Motion #146: Urgent measures to safeguard the Aldabra World Heritage Site in Seychelles and suspension of destructive development on Assomption Island, Seychelles

Assomption Island, within the Outer Seychelles Hope Spot and next to Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is threatened by large-scale hotel construction. In addition to many critical ecosystem services, this region supports the largest giant tortoise population in the world. This motion calls on the government of the Seychelles to suspend the hotel development until an independent environmental assessment is completed, and to ask IUCN for support in reviewing information and to provide technical assistance in assessing the impacts of the development.