Being an active member in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), APN participated in its World Conservation Congress hosted by the State of Hawaii between 1-12 September 2016. Held every four years, the Congress brings together several thousand leaders from government, civil society, private sector, UN agencies and academia to discuss and decide on solutions to the world’s most pressing environment and development challenges.

APN, through its manager Mariam Al jaajaa submitted an urgent motion on “Enhancing Conservation in War Torn West Asia” demanding changes to the IUCN Work Plan for the four years to follow. The motion was prepared in collaboration with the Applied Research Institute- Jerusalem and Green Line from Lebanon, and co-sponsored by 18 organizations from the region. The changes that sought to include conflict and war as drivers for biodiversity loss needing to be addressed were voted on and accepted by the general congress. The changes mention West Asia, particularly the Fertile Crescent and Yemen, as areas suffering from crises and needing further support , initially with carrying out conflict impact assessments on biodiversity and conservation. This motion was a driver for regional delegations to unify efforts towards achieving a demand that concerns all. The Congress is the place where IUCN’s more than 1,300 Member organizations exercise their rights to help form global conservation priorities and guide IUCN’s activities for years to follow. APN had led and succeeded in getting endorsement on two other motions in previous years:  Resolution 3.046 on Conservation in regions in violent conflict of West Asia in 2004, and Resolution 4.097 on Liability and Compensation Mechanisms for Environmental Crimes During Armed Conflict in 2008.