A human rights-based approach to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is recognized as a necessary condition for stopping biodiversity loss and degradation in a manner that is equitable, effective, efficient, and transformative. It is an essential enabling condition for the resilience of systems of life, good health, and the use, management, restoration, and conservation of natural resources as an integral part of the way in which humans continue to live on our shared earth. Mounting evidence also reflects that only by partnering with, and recognising the leadership of, indigenous peoples and local communities can the ambitions of the GBF be realised.

A healthy earth and human rights are interdependent. The key to attaining the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is understanding the relationship between human rights and nature and realising human rights is a component of the solutions to protect the loss of nature.

It's unfair to be a young person in today’s world. It's unfair that my generation and future generations have to pay the price of the over-exploitation and inaction of a privileged few people of previous generations. It’s unfair that I need to worry about how many years I can live in a safe and healthy environment on this planet. In spite of representing half of the world's population, we are under-represented and don’t have a chance to influence key decision-making spaces.

Las mujeres indígenas tienen una función relevante en la conservación de la diversidad biológica y, correlativamente, son severamente afectadas con su pérdida. Por lo tanto, es imprescindible su visibilización y su participación plena y efectiva en el nuevo Marco Mundial de la Diversidad Biológica posterior a 2020 y Plan de Género.

Indigenous women play an important role in the conservation of biological diversity and, correlatively, are severely affected by its loss. Therefore, their visibility and their full and effective participation in the new post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and Gender Plan is imperative.

Under no circumstances, any decision adopted at COP15 should perpetuate gender inequalities. On the contrary, the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and its associated instruments should be gender-responsive. For that, four components should be fulfilled: 1) Transversalization of gender considerations in the post-2020 GBF,  2) Adoption of a decision that highlights the urgent and effective implementation of the Post-2020 Gender Plan of Action, 3) Ensuring gender-transformative enabling conditions such as resource mobilisation, capacity development and communication; and 4) Effectively integrate gender considerations into planning, monitoring, and reporting processes.

Implementation of GBF draft target 3 (the ‘30 by 30’ target) will have important implications for human rights in conservation. WCPA is coordinating a multi-partner process to identify approaches for inclusive, equitable and effective implementation and summarize results in a technical guide. Visit the project website to learn more and participate!

This blogpost spotlights the research and partnerships undertaken by the One Ocean Hub and various governments, UN bodies, and civil society partners to advance the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework draft targets to ensure full and effective representation and participation of children and youth in decision making on global biodiversity.

En México, los pueblos indígenas han sido marginados del desarrollo económico, político, social y cultural, excluidos de los discursos ambientales, y víctimas de desprotección legal por parte del Estado. Por lo que enfrentan graves violaciones a sus derechos y afectaciones por la sobreexplotación de la naturaleza en sus territorios.

In Mexico, indigenous peoples have been marginalized from economic, political, social and cultural development (CNDH, 2020), excluded from environmental discourse, and victims of lack of legal protection by the State. As a result, they face serious violations of their rights and affectations due to the overexploitation of nature in their territories (Toledo, Garrido and Barrera-Bassols, 2014).

This blogpost highlights the One Ocean Hub partnerships with various stakeholders to advance sustainable fisheries targets as set out in the draft of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. It emphasises that protection of small-scale fishers’ human rights contributes to the protection of global biodiversity and everyone’s human right to a healthy environment.

Thousands of French commons contribute to social and environmental outcomes, yet many have been proposed to be abolished without consultation. A group of legal experts, researchers, rights-holders and elected officials participated in a conference in the French Senate in October 2022 to inspire a new law to recognize and protect these commons and so reverse centuries of injustice.

Without permitting these commons to self-govern, not only are the rights-holders penalized, but France’s contribution to the Global Biodiversity Framework is hindered and out of step with global tendencies to recognize local communities that contribute to conservation.

Fishing community in Manipur’s Loktak Lake, a Ramsar designated wetland, is blending conservation initiatives with addressing imminent threats to their lives and livelihoods from external interventions. In tune with the objectives outlined in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework negotiations, Loktak fishers are raising awareness for the conservation of the wetland.

With COP15 (the UN global conference on biodiversity) taking place in Montreal from December 7 to 19, let's all take the streets to defend all forms of life and send a powerful message to our decision-makers!

The March for Biodiversity and Human rights is organized by the Quebec Civil Society Collective for COP15 and the Global Youth Biodiversity Network. Led by an Indigenous Delegation, it brings together 80+ organizations mobilizing for biodiversity protection in the context of COP15, along with local and international allies.