Institutional Pressure
Applying unwavering pressure to UNESCO & IUCN when they fail to fulfill their responsibilities towards Aldabra’s pristine biodiversity.
We delivered an Open Letter, co-signed by a coalition of organisations, asking UNESCO to urgently discuss Aldabra Atoll at their World Heritage Committee meeting in Busan, Republic of South Korea. They refused.
After considerable social media pressure, UNESCO finally acknowledged the risk to Aldabra in July 2026, in an official statement - where they referenced Friends of Aldabra, but offered no support.
In October 2025, Friends of Aldabra filed an urgent motion at the IUCN World Conservation Congress.
This motion was blocked by members of the Seychelles Government and other development stakeholders - and subsequently deferred for consideration at the next IUCN Congress in 2029 (2 years after the anticipated hotel opening).
“The approval of a luxury resort on neighbouring Assumption island significantly increases the risk of invasive species reaching the atoll, many of which would be impossible to eradicate once they have arrived.”
The IUCN then listed Aldabra Atoll as under “high threat” due to the hotel development.
“UNESCO and the IUCN stand ready to support the Government of Seychelles and to engage in dialogue with stakeholders to ensure that this development project complies with all conservation and environmental standards and guidelines, thereby safeguarding the Outstanding Universal Value of this World Heritage property.”
This statement comes after Friends of Aldabra put considerable social media pressure on UNESCO.