What I did not know is that in 2008, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature – a UN-like body* – decided to create a formal system that countries can use to systematically conserve lands based on management objectives. It’s very similar to the US system, except that many US designations (like National Monuments) can span multiple IUCN categories depending on how they’re managed. It’s used by the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre.