Motion 075

The second Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA2), published in October 2023, showed that in the 20 years since the first Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA), the conservation community has not only failed to slow the amphibian extinction crisis (addressed in Resolution 4.017, 2008 and Resolution 020, 2012), but that the crisis is in fact getting worse. GAA2 assessed 41% of amphibian species globally to be facing the threat of extinction, remaining the highest proportion of any vertebrate group. Moreover, there remains hugely insufficient investment in mitigating the amphibian extinction crisis; the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan, published in July 2024 highlights the discrepancy in funding received by other taxonomic groups relative to threat level, compared to amphibians. Finally, countries that have signed up to Target 4 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework have five years remaining to meet their commitments regarding preventing species extinctions. Given the high threat level faced by amphibians globally, many countries will struggle to achieve their targets without addressing amphibian population declines.

The publication of GAA2, the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan, and the deadline for implementing Target 4 mean that the conditions are right for a new push from the conservation community to reduce and reverse amphibian population declines. To this end, a meeting was held in London in January 2025 between the four organisations guiding amphibian conservation action and planning globally: IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group, Amphibian Ark, and Amphibian Survival Alliance to determine what was needed to reinvigorate global amphibian conservation efforts, supporting countries to meet Target 4 and informed by the GAA2 and the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan. This motion was developed as part of that meeting.