Redlands, California—July 16, 2012—Julia Marton-Lefèvre, director general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world's largest conservation/environment membership organization, will speak at the Esri International User Conference (Esri UC) in San Diego, California, on July 23, 2012. Esri is the largest developer of geographic information system (GIS) technologies in the world.

Distinguished in the global conservation community for her commitment to the sustainable management of natural resources, Marton-Lefèvre will talk about how IUCN champions the idea of valuing and conserving nature and using nature-based solutions to advance human well-being.

"Our mission is to influence society to conserve nature and natural resources in an equitable and sustainable manner," said Marton-Lefèvre. "I am glad to be the keynote speaker at the Esri UC this year, because Esri and IUCN share a common vision of harmony between nature and people."

Of particular interest to the Esri UC audience of GIS enthusiasts will be Marton-Lefèvre's discussion of the upcoming release of the map browser for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the world standard for measuring the extinction risk of plant and animal species. This online interactive map service is built on Esri's ArcGIS 10.1 for Server. Website visitors can easily explore the globe as they examine the abundance of scientific data available for threatened species and see the range of these species on a map.

"Using cutting-edge geographic knowledge, IUCN mobilizes conservation action for the benefit of nature and all the seven billion people who depend on it," added Marton-Lefèvre.

Marton-Lefèvre has served as the rector of the University for Peace (UPEACE), the executive director of Leadership for Environment and Development International (LEAD), and the executive director of the International Council for Science (ICSU). She has served on boards, councils, and committees that include the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), and the UN Secretary General's High-Level Group on Sustainable Energy for All.

Marton-Lefèvre has coauthored numerous books and papers. In 1999, she received the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Award for International Scientific Cooperation. In 2008, she was named both Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur by the French government and Global Ambassador for Hungarian Culture by the Hungarian minister of education and culture. In 2011, Marton-Lefèvre was named Chevalier dans l'Ordre de Saint-Charles by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco. She is a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science and a councilor of the World Future Council. Born in Hungary, Marton-Lefèvre studied history, ecology, and environmental planning in the United States and France.

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