From idea to reality: Youth triumph at IUCN Congress – Abu Dhabi 2025

The second IUCN World Youth Summit is in full swing in Abu Dhabi! What a long way we have come since the first summit in Marseille four years ago. What was then a bold initiative is now an institution.

We are incredibly proud to announce that the motion we proposed to make this event a permanent fixture (Motion 101) was officially adopted by the Union's members in the electronic vote preceding the Congress!

This victory means that a World Youth Summit will now be held systematically before each World Conservation Congress. This is a major step forward that permanently enshrines the voice, energy and ideas of young people at the heart of IUCN's decision-making processes.

This motion guarantees a space for intergenerational exchange and the full and inclusive participation of young people, including indigenous youth. The momentum has been set in motion, and we are more determined than ever to build the future of conservation with all generations.