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Expanding the work of the SSC to maximize its impact in reducing biodiversity loss, with a particular focus on
addressing extinction crises in large Asian animals (Asian Species Action Partnership) and in amphibians
(Amphibian Survival Alliance)
Asian Species Action Partnership
Agreement has now been reached on the name of the initiative
to address the extinction crisis in large Asian animals, which
up until now has been called “Action Asia” on an interim basis.
It is now called the “Asian Species Action Partnership” (ASAP).
The implementation of ASAP is very much in fulfilment of
Resolution 027 “Conservation of tropical Asia’s threatened
species”, adopted by the IUCN World Conservation Congress
in Jeju, Korea, in September 2013. Simon Stuart facilitated a
major ASAP planning meeting in Bangkok on 9 March. ASAP’s
goal and objectives were agreed as follows:
Goal: As a matter of urgency, reverse the declines in the wild
of Critically Endangered freshwater and land vertebrates in
South-east Asia.
Objectives:
• To identify and catalyse urgent actions to reduce immediate
threats causing the decline of ASAP-eligible species;
• To catalyse a range of recovery activities for ASAP-eligible
species by strengthening ongoing conservation action and
promoting new initiatives;
• To improve the enabling environment for effective
conservation of ASAP-eligible species by raising their profile;
• To encourage collection and distribution of information
essential to conservation action for ASAP-eligible species.
Governance and Structure
ASAP will be structured as described below and will consist of
(the names of each constituent are provisional):
A “Steering Committee”, constituted of people each
representing member institutions, will represent the primary
decision-making body, setting strategic priorities in relation to
ASAP’s goal and objectives. The SSC Chair (Simon Stuart) will
chair this Steering Committee. Member institutions will mostly
be non-governmental implementing bodies, for now defined as
those present at any of the Jeju, Bangkok, Aceh or Singapore
meetings of ASAP. Steering Committee members will also
include a representative of (and elected by) the IUCN SSC
Specialist Groups and Red List Authorities which contain
ASAP-eligible species, and, probably, of the donors that were
present at the meetings.
A “Scientific Advisory Committee” consisting of IUCN SSC
Specialist Group representatives, and other specialist
associations, as appropriate will advise on methodologies,
updates to the ASAP-eligible species list, core programmatic
priorities, emerging issues, and other aspects of technical
guidance as necessary.
A “Friends of ASAP” group has been proposed to be
primarily comprized of the organisations implementing
conservation action for ASAP-eligible species. Membership to
this group will be open to NGOs, government agencies,
academic institutions, zoos and all others (for example
corporate entities).
The ASAP “Secretariat” will comprize the following positions
(current individuals): Technical Coordinator (Will Duckworth),
Development Coordinator (Madhu Rao) and SSC Network
Coordination Officer (Rachel Roberts).
The main Programme Areas of Work for ASAP were
identified as follows:
• Developing Species Action Checklists that list concisely (two
pages maximum) all the essential and urgent activities for
each ASAP-eligible species, led by IUCN SSC Specialist
Groups and Red List Authorities, as appropriate.
• Identifying opportunities for actions for each species
(‘bundled’ for multiple species where appropriate), typically
mitigation of threats (such as site-specific habitat protection,
harvest regulation and other ways of securing critical sites),
and where this may not be practicable, ex-situ action; and
supporting actions where necessary such as surveys,
capacity building as relevant, and gaining higher-level
political leverage to influence policy and shape interventions.
• Brokering ASAP-eligible species needs with opportunities.
An important activity for ASAP is to represent a ‘matchmaking’
entity to ensure linkages of ASAP-eligible species
needs with sources of financial and technical support.
• Generating a monitoring/report card on status of ASAPeligible
species providing focused, concrete and current
information every two years.
• Developing an internal and external strategy to clarify
communication mechanisms internally across the ASAP
partnership, and externally to raise awareness with NGOs,
donors, research institutions, and making links to relevant
Multilateral Environmental Agreements (such as the CBD
through the NBSAP revision process). The communications
strategy will outline the messages, the recipients of each,
and mechanisms of transmission, e.g., press releases as
appropriate, use of social media (Facebook page, Twitter,
highlighting species on the Amazing Species website).
• Developing web-based access to all relevant written
information on ASAP-eligible species, by setting up an
ASAP webpage on the IUCN website and assisting in
directing interested parties to both written and unwritten
information.
The following is a list of ASAP Results and work plan for the
first year of operation:
• Development of Species Action Checklists for all ASAPeligible
species;
• Identification of priority actions for ASAP-eligible species
(‘bundled’ as groups, where appropriate);
• Plans to match species needs with technical, financial and
political opportunities;
• Accessible collation of all relevant written information on
ASAP-eligible species;
• Development of a communications strategy;
• Progress towards the installation of paid programme officers
in each Specialist Group without one so far, but containing
ASAP-eligible species: Deer SG, Asian Wild Cattle SG, Pig
SG, Bat SG and Small Mammal SG.
Addressing Critical Conservation Issues
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