IUCN Council admitted 17 new Members during its 84th meeting held in Sydney in November. Four of them are from Mediterranean countries (Italy, Lebanon, Palestine and Spain). The new Members are being informed of their admission by the regional Membership Focal Points and the news has been announced via the Union Portal and website.

IUCN-Med welcomes the new Mediterranean Members and, in the spirit of the One Programme Charter and our IUCN Programme 2013-16, encourages all the Mediterranean family to familiarize yourselves with the new Members and the scope of their activities and expertise, so as to engage them in your work for a more sustainable Mediterranean region. The new Members in our region are:

• Università degli Studi di Catania - Centro universitario per la tutela e la gestione degli ambienti naturali ed agro-ecosistemi (CUTGANA) [University of Catania - University Centre for the Conservation and Management of Environmental Resources and Agro-Ecosystems], Italy

• Mada Association, Lebanon

• The Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem Society (ARIJ), Palestine

• Grupo para la Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat (GREFA)[Wildlife and Habitat Rehabilitation Group], Spain

For further information please contact Arantxa Cendoya