The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has issued an urgent call to massively scale up species conservation action in response to the escalating biodiversity crisis.  The Abu Dhabi Call was issued at the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Leaders’ Meeting which was held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 6 - 9 October 2019. More than 300 SSC leaders gathered for the meeting and signed the call, which urges governments, international agencies and the private sector to halt species decline and prevent human-driven extinctions by 2030, and to improve the conservation status of threatened species with a view to bringing about widespread recovery by 2050. The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums has joined as a signatory to the declaration and fully endorses and supports the Abu Dhabi Call. As the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, we commit to respond to the Abu Dhabi Call to scale up our commitment to species conservation. We will continue to strive for a sustainable future for people in a world in which species are highly valued for their intrinsic worth as well as the benefits they provide. We commit to providing knowledge, resources, and public education, engagement, and inspiration and to implementing action for species conservation.