Each IUCN Member organization/institution and each observer with speaking rights needs to go through the accreditation process and submit a written statement of credentials in order to vote and/or speak during the Members’ Assembly.

Before submitting the statement of credentials, all Member organization/institution delegates and all observers who have been granted speaking rights first need to register for the Members’ Assembly.

At the time of submitting their statements of credentials, organizations/institutions, when represented by more than one delegate, need to nominate a Head of Delegation and provide a complete list of all the members their delegations comprise. The Head of Delegation is the person who votes and/or speaks on behalf of the organization/institution during the Members’ Assembly.

The purpose of accreditation is to ensure that:

  • Only Members in categories A and B that are up-to-date in the payment of their dues (dues paid up to and including 2011) and have their credentials in order can vote and speak during the Members’ Assembly.
  • Only Members in category C that are up-to-date in the payment of their dues (dues paid up to and including 2011) and have their credentials in order can speak during the Members’ Assembly.
  •  Only Council members (including Commission Chairs), Commission Deputy Chairs, non-Member States and organizations with which IUCN has formal working relationships and that have been invited by Council can speak during the Members’ Assembly.
  • Heads of Delegations who have been officially authorized by their organizations/institutions can vote and/or speak on behalf of an organization/institution.

The name and title of the speaker and the name of the organization/institution he/she represents is shown on the screen when called on by the Chair of the Members’ Assembly.

A Member unable to attend the IUCN World Conservation Congress can give proxy to another Member organization/institution to speak and vote on its behalf. Both proxy giver and proxy holder need to have their credentials in order (dues paid up to and including 2011 and statements of credentials submitted).

In order to comply with the Secretariat’s mandate and to ensure that the Congress is organized and conducted in an effective manner, statements of credentials have to be submitted by both Members and observers before the World Congress opens on 6 September 2012 (Rule 12 of the IUCN Rules of Procedure of the World Conservation Congress). Following the opening of Congress, Members will not be able to submit statements of credentials, but they will be able to give proxy to another Member or change the Head of Delegation.


More information on the accreditation process will be sent to Members in due time.