International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), also known as The World Conservation Union, is a global federation of government and private conservation organizations. IUCN works with countries and organizations around the world to save rare plant and animal species from extinction. It promotes the sustainable use of natural resources, and the idea that, through careful conservation practices, societies can preserve the health and diversity of nature.
IUCN attempts to raise public awareness of conservation by publishing comprehensive lists of threatened species. The best known of these publications is the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It combines lists of threatened animals and plants. In addition, IUCN helps countries prepare and employ strategies to preserve their natural environments. Such strategies also help nations use their natural resources in a responsible and ecologically sustainable way.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources was created in 1948. Its headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland.
