This work describes the achievements made towards geoconservation within the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from the 1990s onwards. The key milestones in the recognition of geoconservation within the IUCN are presented. Initially, the IUCN's geoconservation efforts were focused on refining the criteria for World Heritage (WH) designation. Subsequently, the actions focused on spreading the geoconservation framework within the IUCN World Conservation Congresses (WCCs), the establishment of an expert group on geoconservation within the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN-WCPA) and the publication of guidelines for geoconservation. We describe how the inclusion within the IUCN membership of three organizations-two of them Spanish: The Geological Society of Spain (SGE) and the Society for the Defence of Geological and Mining Heritage (SEDPGYM); and one international, ProGEO-has been a key factor. These organizations have achieved the adoption of resolutions in which geoconservation, its vision, its principles and its definitions have been taken into account in the IUCN WCC (2008-2020 period), and have promoted the geoconservation conceptual framework among nature conservationists. We also analyse the progress made and offer a series of recommendations to improve geoconservation in the future adopting a more integrated approach to nature conservation within the IUCN. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Geodiversity for science and society'.