Q: With reference to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN. and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which of the following statements is/are correct?
- IUCN is an organ of the United Nations and CITES is an international agreement between governments.
- IUCN runs thousands of field projects around the world to better manage natural environments.
- CITES is legally binding on the States that have joined it, but this Convention does not take the place of national laws.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a) 1 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
The correct answer is 2 and 3 only. 
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
- It is a network of environmental organizations founded as the International Union for the Protection of Nature in October 1948 in Fontainebleau, France.
- It is the only international observer organization in the UN General Assembly with expertise in issues concerning the environment, specifically biodiversity, nature conservation and sustainable natural resource use. Hence, Statement 1 is not correct
- It promotes nature conservation and the ecologically sustainable use of natural resources.
- It changed its name to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) in 1956.
- It is composed of both government and civil society organizations which harness the experience and resources.
- Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland.
- It maintains the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which was established in 1964.
- It also played a fundamental role in the creation of key international conventions, including the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971), the World Heritage Convention (1972), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, (1974), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), UNFCCC, etc.
- The IUCN’s activities are organized into several theme-based programs ranging from business and biodiversity to forest preservation to water and wetlands conservation, climate change, conservation, poverty reduction, etc. 
- The IUCN’s funding comes from several governments, agencies, foundations, member organizations, and corporations. Hence, Statement 2 is correct.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
- It is an international agreement between governments, that entered into force in 1975.
- Currently, 176 countries are parties to CITES.
- CITES is administered through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The CITES programme ensures compliance with and implementation and enforcement of the convention.
- Although CITES is legally binding on state parties to the convention but does not take the place of national laws, rather it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level to implement its goals. Hence, Statement 3 is correct.
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