IUCN can issue specific resolutions, which are first presented as motions that are debated and voted on. Two resolutions related to amphibian conservation have been released in the past: Stopping the amphibian crisis (Resolution 4.017; Barcelona, 2008) and Further steps to combat the amphibian crisis (Resolution 5.020; Jeju, 2012). These resolutions built on knowledge of the amphibian extinction crisis, documented by the first Global Amphibian Assessment (Stuart et al., 2004, Science, 306, 1783–1786).

However, the scaling up of investment in amphibian conservation action has been inadequate, resulting in a continuing decline in conservation status. The recently completed second Global Amphibian Assessment lists 41% of species as threatened and confirms the extinction of 37 species, with a further 185 possibly extinct, and also highlights the emergence of climate change as a significant threat in addition to habitat loss, disease and exploitation (Luedtke et al., 2023, Nature, 622, 308–314). Subsequently the amphibian community submitted a new motion related to amphibian conservation in January 2025, which was adopted as a resolution on 9 October 2025 by the IUCN World Conservation Congress at its session in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Despite the worsening conservation status of amphibians, conservation actions are having a positive impact, and the 2024 Amphibian Conservation Action Plan (IUCN Species Survival Commission Occasional Paper No. 57, doi.org/10.2305/QWVH2717) provides a roadmap for global and regional amphibian conservation. However, to prevent further extinctions and achieve Target 4 of the Kumming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, an urgent and large-scale increase in investment in amphibian conservation is imperative.

This latest resolution outlines a comprehensive global action plan to address the ongoing amphibian extinction crisis. It mandates the IUCN Species Survival Commission to develop updated conservation guidelines, focusing on climate change, disease management and protected areas. The resolution also calls on governments to implement long-term national plans, protect key habitats, establish biosecure breeding programmes and regulate trade. It further urges the provision of funding to scientists to develop practical solutions to disease and climate impacts. This new resolution supersedes that from Jeju in 2012, reflecting updated scientific knowledge and threat assessments.