1973 iucn yearbook

INTRODUCTION
IUCN has existed for more than a quarter century and there has always
been reasonably good agreement among its extremely diverse membership
as to the main objectives. Nevertheless, priorities tend to vary, and
organizations, like people, change continuously. For this reason we feel
a brief introductory review of IUCN and what it does is in order. For
the reader who is new to conservation or not associated with one of
IUCN's member organizations, this introduction will provide some
essential explanations.
IUCN is an international organization whose members are sovereign
states, government departments, non-political bodies and international
entities. Its broad purpose is to foster the maintenance of the biosphere
and its diversity by rational management of the earth's resources. The
Union was founded in 1948 at an international conference at Fontainebleau
sponsored by UNESCO and the Government of France.
IUCN is deeply concerned by the effects on the environment of man's
continued over-exploitation of resources and abuse of the life-supporting
systems in the natural world. The rapid increase of human populations
and the concomitant rise in the rates of consumption of natural resources
threaten the quality of life for rich and poor alike. There is accelerating
destruction of habitats, often aggravated by more direct pressures on
wildlife resources and resulting in growing threats to already endangered
plant and animal species, a serious wastage of genetic material, and the
reduction of diversity and of the options open for the future.
IUCN continuously reviews and assesses global environmental problems
and promotes the research necessary for their solution. It urges
and assists the development and application of wiser policies on conservation,
both at the technical and broader politico-social levels. In the
course of its programmes, it seeks to halt all forms of environmental
deterioration as well as to promote the conservation of wild places and
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