Topic: Regulation of Invasive Species
The International Union for Conservation of Nature is comprised of over 1400 members with a goal of advancing sustainable development and creating a just world that values and conserves nature. Created in 1948 by UNESCO request, it was the first international body dedicated solely to conservation of nature.
Membership consists of a wide variety of governments and civil society organizations, including over 170 national governments. This broad membership works to incubate ideas, act as a trusted repository of best practices and tools, and set international standards and policies. The IUCN acts as a centralized resource for its members and the broader public in helping combat a variety of environmental issues. This stands in contrast to the more hands-on approach of similarly minded organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund. The IUCN is closely associated with the United Nations holding permanent observer status has a long history of working hand in hand with various UN committees. The IUCN is also a key collaborator on many international environmental conventions such as the Rasmar Convention or Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES).
This simulation will only include national government representatives, and proposed solutions should be in the same format that other GLICA resolutions take.
The negative effects caused by invasive species remain an extreme problem, and the necessity for effective and dynamic solutions has only become more complicated as global climate change impacts biospheres and ecosystems at an accelerating pace.
Invasive species, previously defined by the body as ‘species which become established in a natural or semi-natural ecosystem or habitat, are an agent of change, and threaten native biological diversity’, cause problems for society and the planet in a multitude of ways. Invasive grasses increase the frequency and extremity of wildfires. Aquatic species overtaking lakes and rivers can destroy fisheries, block commercial infrastructure, or make waterways untraversable. Invasive species on land can destroy agriculture, and act as vectors for deadly diseases. The loss of biodiversity also leads ecosystems to be less stable and more susceptible to further consequences. These issues of safety, economic stability, environmental preservations, and cultural preservation require different considerations.
Most invasive species plaguing us today are those introduced to ecosystems as a part of global trade. The role of trade in the spread of invasive species means that the economic impacts in combating this issue are front and center, and provide a significant obstacle to implementing change worldwide – doubly so for ecosystems that are not entirely governed by a single state. The realities of our 21st century global economy mean that this issue is one that will constantly change and remain an indefinite concern. The guidelines, standards, and strategies laid out by this committee need to be revisited regularly to ensure that partners worldwide are equipped with the most up to date expertise and solutions so they can work to steward conservation and sustainable development now and into the future.
