At the IUCN World Congress starting tomorrow, 9 October, delegates will be asked to vote on a motion calling for a moratorium on genetically engineered wild species. The decision will test whether IUCN upholds the Precautionary Principle and demonstrates leadership in protecting and restoring nature – or whether it opens the door to experimental technologies that risk undermining conservation efforts and eroding public trust.
Abu Dhabi, 8 October 2025 – The world’s most influential nature conservation organisation will decide whether to promote genetic engineering as a tool for nature conservation at this year’s IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
As the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) prepares to take a position on synthetic biology in conservation, Joann Sy of Pollinis warns that we must not reframe nature conservation as a project of engineering but view it as a project of care, restoration and restraint.
Should genetic engineering be used to kill off invasive species, or make corals resistant to warmer waters? Should endangered species be genetically modified in the name of nature conservation? The controversy over the role of genetic engineering in nature conservation continues to intensify. Two motions have been submitted for adoption by the World Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) later this year.
As scientists and environmentalists grapple with synthetic biology, a crucial debate failed to materialize at the IUCN regional meeting in Bruges, Belgium. Instead, the meeting revealed significant concerns about the organization’s policy development process on synthetic biology and its implications for nature conservation.
Synthetic biology is not merely a tool for conservation but represents a paradigm shift that demands careful, thoughtful consideration before application.
National and international civil society organisations asked the IUCN Policy Development Working Group on Synthetic Biology to halt the development of the relevant IUCN policy until all criteria for inclusive participation and impartial oversight are fulfilled.
Marseille, France — On Friday, 10.09.2021, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s World Congress voted on a controversial motion questioning the use of genetic engineering in nature conservation. The IUCN members approved this landmark motion, which paves the way for a global dialogue on the future of new forms of this engineering, called synthetic biology, including gene drive organisms.
Marseille, France, 6 September 2021 — Thousands of scientists, conservationists, and civil society members are gathered at the World Conservation Union (IUCN) General Assembly this week to negotiate on the most controversial environmental conservation governance policies in its 70 year history. Among the most contentious debates is about new and emerging genetic engineering and the risks this entails to conservation…
“Should nature conservationists back genetic engineering of wild species in order to counter the impact of human activity?” This is the question that IUCN members will face at the IUCN Members’ Assembly in Marseille.