IUCN Motion Supporting the SEEA

Held once every four years, the IUCN World Conservation Congress in June 2020 in Marseille, France, will bring together several thousand leaders and decision-makers, with the goal of conserving the environment and supporting of sustainable development. In preparation for the session, several motions have recently been submitted for consideration. One of these motions includes “Accounting for Biodiversity: Encompassing Ecosystems, Species, and Genetic Diversity.” The motion, sponsored by Conservation International, several governments and non-governmental organizations, highlights the value of natural capital accounting and the SEEA for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and post-2020 global biodiversity framework. In particular, it highlights the role of the SEEA in mainstreaming biodiversity into national policy and other decision making.

The motion further commends the progress made on the development of the SEEA and its implementation in countries and notes the importance of the revision of the SEEA Experimental Ecosystem Accounting and reaching an agreed methodology. The motion also calls on members and partners, particularly national governments and multilateral institutions, to support country implementation of the SEEA and the use of the SEEA for measurement of biodiversity. If adopted, the motion becomes the mechanism which guides the policy and programme of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and influences third parties.  

The full motion can be accessed here.