The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) adopted three resolutions recognizing whistleblower awards during its World Conservation Congress. The resolutions—which were overwhelmingly approved by the member state parties, and member non-governmental organizations, Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations, and academic institutions—explicitly promote protections and financial rewards for whistleblowers and environmental defenders.
The Congress was held from the 9th to the 15th of October in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is the foremost international body focused on nature protection cooperation and held every four years. The National Whistleblower Center (NWC) was represented by Scott Hajost, NWC’s Senior Environmental Policy Advisor and longtime member of the IUCN US National Committee Executive Committee.
Having set the stage for whistleblower protections in Resolution 115 on Protecting Environmental Human and Peoples’ Rights Defenders and Whistleblowers during the 2021 IUCN Congress in Marseille, France, hopes were high for draft resolutions 048/052, 049, and 126, all of which include crucial language on whistleblower incentives. NWC worked on and supported all three whistleblower resolutions and expects them to have a global impact.
The first resolution co-sponsored by the NWC, 048/052 Crimes that Affect the Environment (CAE), was adopted with of 96% of voting attendees supporting it. CAE includes “wildlife trafficking, illegal deforestation and logging, illegal mining, [and] illegal fishing.” Many of these crimes are closely linked to other forms of financial crime, including drug and human trafficking, and labor and human rights violations.
The resolution requests that the Director General and IUCN Council strengthen “efforts to protect and incentivize environmental defenders and whistleblowers.” The choice in language makes the intent clear: the international community seeks not only to support, but also to reward whistleblowers.
Dr. Charles ‘Chip’ Barber, Director of the Nature Crime Alliance, World Resources Institute, said in a statement, “[This resolution] signals growing resolve among IUCN members to confront environmental crime as a serious threat to people, nature, and climate. This is a milestone that lays the groundwork for stronger global cooperation on environmental crime.”
The second resolution, 049 Strengthening safe civic spaces to fulfill the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, was adopted with 98.45% approval. Scott Hajost represented the NWC on the IUCN Civic Spaces Task Force which developed the resolution. Focusing on the importance of civic spaces and organizations—many of which are under threat due to a global rise in authoritarianism—the resolution encourages the Director General to “develop the policy and action plan on environmental human and peoples’ rights defenders and whistleblowers,” particularly regarding to “their incentivizing.”
The final resolution, co-sponsored by NWC, was 126 Advancing Citizen Science to Support and Democratize Conservation. Once again, the resolution was adopted with an incredibly high approval rate: 896 of 917 Members voted in favor. Regarding whistleblowers, it urges “IUCN Members to protect environmental defenders and whistleblowers, provide their incentivizing, recogniz[e] their role in safeguarding resources, promoting justice and combating environmental crime.”
All three resolutions were adopted with the strong support of the IUCN membership, demonstrating a global commitment to protecting and rewarding whistleblowers.
“These three new IUCN resolutions addressing whistleblowers demonstrate further international recognition of the role that whistleblowers play in combating crimes affecting the environment,” said NWC’s Scott Hajost.
There is substantial empirical evidence demonstrating the efficacy of whistleblower incentives in catching and deterring economic crime. A recent report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a highly respected British think tank, explains, “North American regulators show an exponential growth of information submitted under their reward programmes. For fiscal year 2023, the SEC received 18,354 tips and the CFTC 1,530 – a record for both regulators and an increase of almost 50% on the number of whistleblower submissions received in previous years.”
The RUSI report went on to argue, “reward programmes are effective at increasing not only the quantity, but also the quality of information provided to regulators.” It also presented compelling evidence that reward programs deter would-be criminals.
The adoption of these three IUCN resolutions marks a pivotal step in global conservation efforts, firmly recognizing whistleblowers as essential allies in the fight against environmental crime. With overwhelming support, the international community has committed not only to protecting these individuals but also to incentivizing their courage.
As environmental threats grow more severe and complex, whistleblower protections and rewards offer a proven, effective tool for exposing and deterring crime. These resolutions are more than policy—they’re a call to action for stronger, more accountable environmental governance worldwide.
