New guidance on human rights and equity in conservation launched at COP16

The ‘Nanyuki Road Map’ and a working paper on human rights-based approaches to 30x30 offer a constructive framework for building more effective, equitable approaches to global conservation that prioritise locally-driven initiatives and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

News, 29 October 2024
Collection
UN biodiversity conference (COP16)
A series of pages related to IIED's activities around the 16th Convention on Biological Diversity conference (COP16)
A person from the Indigenous community Callería embroiders art in the traditional way.

A person from the Indigenous community Callería embroiders art in the traditional way (Photo: Juan Carlos Huayllapuma/CIFOR, via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

IIED and partners are today (29 October) launching two major conservation-focused documents at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia.

French and Spanish versions of the ‘Road Map for Advancing Rights and Equity in Conservation’ (commonly known as the Nanyuki Road Map) will be unveiled at an official side event.

And a new working paper titled ‘Advancing human rights-based approaches to Target 3 implementation’ (HRBA Working Paper) will also be launched.

The Nanyuki Road Map sets out 11 priority areas and 32 action points that are critical to advancing human rights, the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and promoting equitable governance in conservation efforts.

This road map was developed following an international workshop held in Nanyuki, Kenya, in February 2024, which brought together representatives from Indigenous Peoples networks, global and local conservation and human rights organisations, UN agencies, conservation funders and advocacy groups.

The road map was created in response to the commitments laid out in the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, with a particular focus on target 3, which aims to conserve 30% of the world’s lands, waters and seas by 2030, while fully respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.  

The Nanyuki Road Map emphasises the need for strategic shifts in conservation, including changing the narrative surrounding conservation, enhancing accountability for rights, equity and governance, and reforming policies to support locally-led conservation. It offers a clear guide for governments, conservationists, NGOs, donors and communities to work together towards equitable conservation outcomes.

At the same event, the human rights-based approaches working paper will also be launched. This was developed in collaboration with participants of the Nanyuki workshop and members of the Human Rights and Biodiversity Working Group. It offers practical tools for conservation professionals to incorporate human rights-based approaches into their work.

The paper focuses on the importance of safeguarding the rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women and environmental human rights defenders in conservation practices, aligning with global conservation goals under the Kunming-Montreal framework. 

The 29 October side event at COP16, titled ‘Advancing rights and equity in the implementation of Target 3+’, will discuss progress on implementing Target 3 in ways that enhance equitable governance and respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.  

Panelists will showcase initiatives and guidance materials developed since the workshop, with a focus on equitable governance, human rights-based approaches and the protection of Indigenous and traditional territories.

Both papers reflect the need for a major shift in conservation, from top-down models to approaches that prioritise locally-driven initiatives and the protection of human rights.

Together, they underscore the crucial role that Indigenous Peoples and local communities play in protecting biodiversity, while marking a significant step toward more inclusive and effective global conservation practices.

Contact

Barbara Lassen ([email protected]), senior researcher (conservation, communities and equity) in IIED's Natural Resources research group