The IUCN is a global network dedicated to advancing environmental conservation worldwide by bringing together governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders to address the most urgent environmental concerns affecting conservation. The formal IUCN motions process allows IUCN members to propose motions that urge specific action or recognize critical environmental challenges. If adopted by IUCN members, these motions become “resolutions” and serve as policies for the IUCN to follow. Some of these policies have served as foundations for the development of international environmental treaties. Students are introduced to and guided through the IUCN motions process in an Advanced International Environmental Law course taught by Professor Achinthi Vithanage (ABA SEER Council member and former chair of the ABA SEER International Law Committee). As law students, our involvement in the IUCN motions process provides a unique opportunity to influence and shape international environmental law and advocate for solutions to environmental issues that transcend national borders.
Each motion addresses a complex international environmental challenge or series of related challenges. Motions typically advocate for action, recognition, or both. The student-led motions submitted for consideration include:
- Strengthening the Linkages Between Zoonotic Risks and Conservation Efforts
This motion urges the IUCN to enhance conservation efforts in preventing zoonotic disease spread by preserving hotspots, assessing environmental impacts, and expanding the PANORAMA platform[AG3] [FG4] [FG5] . It also calls for progress reporting on the IUCN Programme Addendum and promotes global partnerships for community-driven solutions, reinforcing the link between health, biodiversity, and conservation.
- Strengthening Business Engagement in Climate Adaptation for Preservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystems
This motion urges the IUCN to recognize businesses' role in climate adaptation and promotes best practices for ecosystem-based solutions. It calls for regulatory incentives for corporate investment in locally led efforts and encourages businesses to integrate nature-based solutions while collaborating with Indigenous and local communities.
- Strengthening Mechanisms for Public Participation in Environmental Policy Making
This motion urges all states to ratify the Aarhus Convention and Escazú Agreement and calls for expedited approvals for non-United Nations Economic Commission for Europe members. It advocates for amendments requiring, rather than suggesting, public participation in environmental policy making. Additionally, it directs the IUCN director general to form a task force to evaluate enforcement, identify best practices, and publish findings before the 2029 IUCN WCC.
- Port State Measures Regarding IUU Fishing
This motion calls on IUCN members to advocate for implementation and further enforcement of port state measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. IUU fishing is a threat to marine biodiversity, human rights, and marine conservation. This motion invites port states to consider adopting and implementing stronger port measures to fight the prevalence and spread of ports of convenience.
- Strengthening Gender Equality and Addressing Gender-Based Violence in IUCN Conservation Projects: Enhancing Clarity, Transparency, and Financial Accountability
This motion urges IUCN members to integrate gender-sensitive and intersectional approaches in conservation, recognizing gender equality as key to effective efforts. It calls for addressing gender-based violence, strengthening monitoring, and tracking financial commitments. The motion also advocates for robust gender indicators, dedicated funding, and mainstreaming gender in biodiversity finance.
- Promoting the Conservation and Restoration of the Latin American Mangrove Ecosystems through the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) Mechanism
This motion urges the IUCN director general to strengthen partnerships for REDD+ mangrove projects in Latin America and advance the Mangrove Breakthrough goals. It calls for halting mangrove loss, restoring recent losses, doubling protection, and securing sustainable financing to preserve these vital ecosystems.
- Halting the Chemical Pollution by Textile Industries in the Water Bodies of Southern and South-eastern Asia
This motion calls on the IUCN commissions and members to start addressing a major problem for species and local communities: the chemical pollution of water bodies caused by textile manufacturing, particularly in Asian countries that are fashion production hubs.
- Promoting the Protection of Indigenous Languages
This motion for the 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress highlights the urgent need to protect Indigenous languages, recognizing their role in preserving traditional ecological knowledge. Their loss threatens biodiversity and sustainable environmental management, making their preservation essential for global conservation efforts.
Additionally, Pace | Haub Environmental Law students are involved in research and advocacy for the following additional motions proposed by CELS:
- Resolution on Soil Security Law
This motion asks the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) to develop the foundations for an international convention or global legal instrument on soil security. It asks WCEL to develop concepts and parameters for an instrument, to evaluate and propose national or regional laws with a focus on sustainable agriculture, and to generate momentum among member states to support soil security on a national and global level.
- Conserving Temperate Native Grassland for Conservation at Landscape Scale
This motion acknowledges the need to prioritize conserving temperate native grasslands and promotes the utilization of environmental law to assign priority to grassland conservation and designate legal protection for grasslands.
The next stages of the IUCN motions process will involve online negotiations, advocacy and awareness building, and potential negotiations on the ground at the IUCN Congress in the UAE this fall. By participating in this process, we are gaining invaluable hands-on experience in international environmental policy making that goes beyond the classroom. Together, our efforts not only contribute to and advance legal scholarship but also help develop actionable solutions to some of today’s most pressing environmental challenges.
For the first time ever, ABA SEER joined CELS and other partners in supporting a proposal for youth to showcase this learning experience at the IUCN Forum, immediately preceding the IUCN Congress, in a session titled “From Classroom to Congress: Engaging Youth in the Making of International Environmental Policy.” If the proposal is accepted, Pace | Haub Environmental Law students and graduates will present their motion topics, share their research and learning experience, and discuss the legal implications of the proposed policies.
By participating in the 2025 WCC, these students and recent graduates of Pace | Haub Environmental Law, who also happen to be ABA SEER members, are actively shaping the future of environmental law and policy, while establishing themselves as emerging leaders in the movement toward a more sustainable and equitable world.
