Barbara LAUSCHE

International environmental lawyer, advisor, and legal drafter in conservation law and policy with more than 30 years’ experience nationally and internationally, especially in developing countries; active member of IUCN’s World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) since 1979) and its Oceans Specialist Group since established.  Active WCPA member through the 1980s working on protected areas, since the 2010's mainly collaborating on ecological connectivity. As a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas, since 2019, Chair of IUCN-WCPA’s Marine Connectivity Working Group, working with a network of some 100 marine professionals worldwide in marine biodiversity conservation and connectivity. 

Over the years she has led or co-authored numerous IUCN environmental law publications, including Guidelines on Protected Areas Legislation (2011, (updating and expanding the 1980 IUCN guidelines), Law and Connectivity Conservation -- A Concept Paper (2013), Integrated planning: policy and law tools for biodiversity conservation and climate change (2019), and Sustainable investing in protected areas and biodiversity (2023).  These publications included analysis of relevant international law instruments and the marine environment. Her extensive experience with IUCN’s law programme was tapped in the 2000s to write its history entitled Weaving a Web of Environmental Law- Contributions of the IUCN Environmental Law Programme (2008). 

Since the early 2000s she has focused on ocean law and policy, helping establish a Marine Policy Institute (MPI) of the Florida-based Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium (one of the oldest marine science research organizations in Florida, founded in 1955, currently with 45 Doctorate-level scientists on staff conducting studies around the world). Since 2010 she has served as MPI Director, the mission of MPI being to translate science for decision-makers.  Prior positions have included senior environmental staff at the World Bank (including CAO of Global Environment Facility), manager of legal-technical assistance at World Wildlife Fund-US, and consultant on numerous legal drafting projects in developing countries related to protected areas, including MPAs. 

She has regularly contributed to WCEL input on draft international policy and law instruments dealing with nature conservation, including marine elements where relevant, and as part of the WCEL Ocean Specialist Group, on the BBNJ draft for inclusion in IUCN’s submission during the negotiation process.