Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdulla Khaleel participated in the opening ceremony of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress 2025, held today in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The opening ceremony featured high-level remarks from global leaders, including President of Palau Surangel Whipps Jr, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Dr Amina bint Abdullah Al-Dahhak, Panama’s Minister of Environment Juan Carlos Navarro, and IUCN President Razan Al Mubarak. The event was also attended by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The IUCN, the world’s largest and most inclusive environmental network, brings together more than 1,400 member organisations and 17,000 experts to promote sustainable solutions for nature conservation and environmental challenges. The Maldives became a State Member of the IUCN in 2022.

The World Conservation Congress serves as a key global platform for advancing collective efforts to address the most pressing environmental challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecological degradation. 

This year’s Congress focuses on five core themes: scaling up resilient conservation, reducing climate overshoot risks, advancing equity in environmental action, fostering nature-positive economic transitions, and promoting innovation and leadership for conservation.