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Averting human‐induced extinctions will require strong policy commitments that comprehensively address threats to species. A new Global Biodiversity Framework is currently being negotiated by the world's governments through the Convention on Biological Diversity. Here we explored how the suggested targets in this framework could contribute to reducing threats to threatened vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants, and assessed the importance of a proposed target to implement recovery actions for threatened species. Although many of the targets benefit species, we found that extinction risk for over half (57%) of threatened species would not be reduced sufficiently without a target promoting recovery actions, including ex situ conservation, reintroductions, and other species‐specific interventions. A median of 54 threatened species per country require such actions, and most countries of the world hold such species. Preventing future human‐induced extinctions requires policy commitments to implement targeted recovery actions for threatened species in addition to broader efforts to mitigate threats, underpinned by transformative change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) undertaken by Brazil and South Africa. Topics discussed include collaborative cooperation between the countries towards implementing the GSPC, exchange visits paid by Brazilian plant conservationists to South Africa to learn about the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of endangered plant species, and creation of the South African Red Listing database.

This article presents information on threatened plant species in South Africa. According to the author, within the country there are many areas of endemism, wherein unique species of plants are found which exist nowhere in the world. He further states that an instrument that could be used for measuring the impact on threatened species are the Red Lists, which are updated after every five years. By viewing at species' threat status changes from one Red List to the next, one could tell how well biodiversity is conserved in the country. The author also refers to the Threatened Species Program of the South African National Biodiversity Institute which is currently updating the list of threatened plant species in the country. According to Wendy Foden, manager of the program, a new list of threatened plants would be completed by the year 2006. Without the process being completed, there are 332 species which have been newly listed as threatened. There is an increase of 30 per cent in the number of plants threatened with extinction in a time period of less than 10 years is terrifying. The author points that by far the most severe threat to plants in the country is transformation of habitat for urban developments, agriculture or plantations.