Rights for people and for nature

The need to reverse nature loss is clear. Our destruction of the natural world is taking a toll on people and our planet. But people are also crucial to turning this around.

WWF believes that a transformative, comprehensive and measurable post-2020 global biodiversity framework is underlined by a rights-based approach to conservation. This means that people’s rights are considered side-by-side with the rights of nature.

Photo: © Marizilda Cruppe / WWF-UK

© Marizilda Cruppe WWF-UK-1

A healthy planet means healthy people

A global goal to support the Convention on Biological Diversity’s objective to live in harmony with nature highlights the need for rights and nature to be intertwined. A nature-positive world will be achieved with the realization of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainble environment. The global biodiversity framework is the opportunity we have to enshrine the rights of all people in policy.

It must include goals and targets to protect a rights-based approach and principles whilst reversing nature loss. This includes:

The right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment
The rights of indigenous peoples and local communities to land and resources, customary sustainable use and traditional knowledge and Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC)
Intergenerational equity; gender equity and equality
The full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities, women and girls and youth
Support and protect for environmental human rights defenders

A cross-cutting issue

A rights-based approach is a cross-cutting issue and should be considered throughout the global biodiversity framework. It is not a stand-alone point but is regarded as a necessary condition for stopping biodiversity loss and degradation, as an essential enabling condition for the resilience of systems of life, for good health and as vital in the use, management, restoration and conservation of natural resources.

Furthermore, it ensures that all involved directly or indirectly in conservation are recognized and supported. This helps establish more peaceful and inclusive circumstances by avoiding conflicts and the economic and social costs related with such conflicts.

© Greg Armfield WWF-UK-1

Human rights based approach

When applied to conservation, sustainable use and benefit-sharing, a human rights based approach means, in simple terms, that biodiversity policies, governance and management do not violate human rights and that those implementing such policies actively seek ways to support and promote human rights in their design and implementation. This must include supporting duty-bearers to meet their obligations, and rights-holders to claim and exercise their rights.

© Daniel Martínez / WWF-Peru

Gender and conservation

The economic and ecological agency of indigenous and rural women, farmers, fishers, producers and many other women is often not recognized in decision-making. While women play an important role as managers, leaders and defenders of natural resources and agents of change in safeguarding the environment, women face limitations in accessing financial and other resources, or have ownership of land and other resources.

WWF urges Parties to support a stand-alone target on gender. The empowerment, leadership, decision-making and meaningful participation of women and girls is crucial to successfully protecting biodiversity and reversing nature loss. A stand-alone target, with clear and focused language, would ensure that gender is integrated across the global biodiversity framework and strengthen efforts to mainstream gender issues. This should be reflected and strengthened with the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the Gender Plan of Action.

Image: Irum Shehzadi in a field full of grown acacica trees © Matthieu Paley

Irum Shehzadi in a field full of grown acacica trees © Matthieu Paley

WWF’s key asks on rights and approaches

A strong and ambitious global biodiversity framework is essential to secure a nature-positive world

WWF is calling for the strong and consistent integration of a human rights-based approach and operationalization of a whole-of-society approach across of the GBF, by:

A rights-based approach should be explicitly referred to in the text of the final decision, together with access to financing for indigenous peoples and local communities, women and other rights holders
- Including in Goal B, the fulfillment of human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment;
- Ensuring indigenous peoples and local communities’ rights to land, water and territories and their right to free, prior and informed consent are respected (Targets 1, 2 and 3) and their customary sustainable use is safeguarded (Targets 5 and 9);
- Ensuring the full, equitable, effective and gender-responsive participation in decision-making and access to justice related to biodiversity of IPLCs and rights-holders (Target 21);
- Ensuring equitable access to and benefits from biodiversity for women and girls, as well as their informed and effective participation at all levels (new Target 22);
A whole of society approach to implementing the post-2020 GBF should include:
- Setting up or strengthening representative and inclusive multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral processes on biodiversity (new Target 14bis and/or Part I).

further reading

News and updates

Devex cover image-1

Opinion: The right to a healthy environment for everyone, everywhere

Devex Global Views

a_farmer_in_kerala_india_surveys_the_rice_crop_c_nandhukumar

Towards universal recognition of the right to a healthy environment

IUCN Crossroads Blog

Brent Stirton_Getty Images_WWF-1

‘Pachamama’ needs all of us to step up and step in sync with the world’s Indigenous peoples

WWF Governance Medium

Stay in the loop

We have an incredible opportunity to make an ambitious global commitment to restore nature.

Subscribe today for updates and information about how you can get involved and follow @NatureDeal on Twitter.