Viet Nam receives IUCN Green List for Con Dao National Park

From October 9-15, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Viet Nam, together with a delegation from the Viet Nam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, participated in the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) 2025.

Conservation with credibility

Within the framework of the world’s largest forum on nature conservation, the Forestry and Forest Protection Department proudly received the IUCN Green List for Con Dao National Park. Officially recognized on September 12, this designation represents international acknowledgment of Con Dao’s effective governance and successful conservation outcomes. It also marks the third protected area in Viet Nam to be honored, following the Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve (Ninh Binh) and Cat Tien National Park (Dong Nai).

"In just over a decade, the IUCN Green List has grown into a global benchmark for conservation excellence," said Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General. "It is inspiring communities around the world to raise the bar for nature and for people." The 27 newly recognized protected areas are vivid proof of the collective strength that emerges when pioneers, indigenous knowledge, and global standards come together for nature conservation. As the world advances the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Green List offers a practical way to track Target 3 (30x30) while ensuring quality, equity, and sustainability.

This year’s awarded sites span 13 countries and include national parks, marine reserves, World Heritage sites, and private conservation areas. "The Green List is the global standard to guide the way of effective and equitable protected and conserved areas, inspiring action that delivers real benefits for both people and the planet," said Thierry Lefebvre, Green List Programme Manager at IUCN.

Viet Nam's orientations and commitments

At WCC 2025, Viet Nam delivered the message: "From farmlands to forests, from villages to cities - every action is part of a global effort for a future where people and nature thrive together." This message reflects the aspiration of an agricultural nation in transformation, aiming to become a regional leader in ecological agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and climate adaptation.

The Vietnamese delegation actively participated in discussion sessions, thematic conferences, exhibitions, and regional forums under the theme "Agriculture and Biodiversity", focusing on the interlinkages between agricultural productivity and biodiversity conservation. Viet Nam also took part in voting and contributed inputs to key resolutions on forest conservation, combating environmental crimes, integrating "One Health" approach into conservation policies, and reducing fossil fuel emissions.

Representatives from the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Agency shared updates on the implementation of OECMs (Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures) in Viet Nam, highlighting local-level conservation initiatives and nature-based solutions (NbS). The Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Environment (IPSAE) presented Viet Nam’s policy and legal roadmap to promote sustainable agriculture, emphasizing the integration of agriculture and biodiversity across shared landscapes.

Meanwhile, the International Cooperation Department contributed to a panel on France - IUCN partnership, exploring how Viet Nam can move from ideas to action in applying NbS within agriculture. Particularly noteworthy is the technical support from both sides in implementing the rice-fish-lotus model in the Mekong Delta. This partnership has helped integrate NbS into Viet Nam’s national goals, including the Ecological Agriculture Strategy, the National Action Plan for Food Systems Transformation, and the Project of One Million Hectares of High-quality and Low-Emission Rice. 

Following the Congress, Viet Nam will continue transforming its commitments and recommendations into concrete actions, strengthening cooperation networks, advancing policy reforms, and integrating agricultural production with nature conservation planning.

The IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) 2025, held in Abu Dhabi, gathers more than 10,000 participants of policymakers, scientists, civil society organizations, indigenous communities, and businesses to discuss, establish partnerships, and shape global strategies on nature conservation, biodiversity, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development. 

In Abu Dhabi, celebration was mixed with resolve: a determination to grow the movement, support more sites, and ensure that protected and conserved areas are more than lines on a map, they are living, thriving landscapes of hope.