Nature conservation

Joint initiative between IUCN and WWF for addressing the need to protect the highly valuable deep sea ecosystems in the Mediterranean. Is included for the first time a comprehensive proposal for conservation firmly based in virtually all scientific information currently available.

The precautionary principle, or precautionary approach, is now widely accepted in environmental law and policy at international and, increasingly, national level. However, the principle remains highly controversial, its meaning contested, its acceptance and implementation inconsistent across sectors and contexts and its impacts unclear.

Biosafety and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are amongst the most complex of biodiversity issues: from species conservation, to sustainable livelihoods, to socio-cultural policy. The greatest GMO-related need shared by all decision-makers - governmental, civil society, and industrial - is for unbiased background information and a framework for evaluating new evidence.