conservation-standards-b1046919bcd2133c.pdf

This August 2016 discussion paper by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and Natural Justice proposes a set of draft conservation standards to protect the human rights of indigenous peoples. The authors argue that while international law provides a broad framework, there is a lack of practical, rights-based guidance for conservation actors, leading to documented cases of evictions and abuses in the name of biodiversity protection.

• Conservation interventions, while intended to protect biodiversity, have frequently led to human rights abuses against indigenous peoples and local communities. A rapid assessment of 35 global conservation-related conflicts identified direct abuses including "denial of free, prior and informed consent; lack of engagement with indigenous institutions; eviction; unjust resettlement; destruction of property and livelihoods; denial of access and use of natural resources; intimidation and physical harm; and exploitative employment."
• The authors assert that human rights responsibilities extend beyond states to include non-state entities. They conclude that "international organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and philanthropic foundations have human rights responsibilities under international law."
• The proposed conservation standards distinguish between the duties of state and non-state actors. States are held to a higher standard to "protect against human rights abuse within their territory and/or jurisdiction by third parties," while non-state actors have a "responsibility to respect" human rights, meaning they should "avoid infringing on the human rights of others and should address adverse human rights impacts with which they are involved."
• The paper identifies several rights most likely to be directly infringed by conservation activities, including the right to self-determination, the right to determine institutions for self-government, and the right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). Regarding FPIC, the authors state that conservation actors must engage indigenous peoples "in good faith and in accordance with the people’s own procedures."
• Rights to lands, territories, and resources are frequently violated through forced evictions or the enlargement of protected area boundaries. The authors note that such actions often involve a "lack of due process" and can result in the destruction of "dwellings, belongings, livelihoods, trees and crops."
• Conservation interventions can cause indirect human rights infringements. These include the erosion of linguistic diversity and the disruption of traditional educational systems, which can occur when "national-level systems that are not adapted to cultural, spiritual, religious or linguistic diversity" are imposed, particularly during relocation.
• The paper emphasizes the right to redress for indigenous peoples whose lands or resources are taken without consent. It notes that indigenous peoples often struggle to secure remedies due to "deliberate efforts by state agencies to deny indigenous peoples access to justice."
• The authors suggest integrating these standards into existing frameworks to improve social performance, such as the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, the Conservation Initiative on Human Rights (CIHR), and the Whakatane Mechanism.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). conservation-standards-b1046919bcd2133c.pdf. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Conservation-Standards.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. conservation-standards-b1046919bcd2133c.pdf. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Conservation-Standards.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=conservation-standards-b1046919bcd2133c.pdf |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Conservation-Standards.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendconservationstandardsb1046919bcd2133cpdf, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{conservation-standards-b1046919bcd2133c.pdf}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Conservation-Standards.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }