Online Consultation: UN High-Level Political Forum 2020 for Work Stream on Protecting the Planet and Building Resilience

This statement by Natural Justice provides recommendations for the UN High-Level Political Forum 2020, focusing on systems transformation to protect the planet and build resilience. It advocates for rights-based conservation, decentralized energy systems, and the empowerment of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) to manage natural resources and hold governments accountable.

• Economic systems require a broader approach to revision, shifting focus from large-scale economic deals to eco-friendly projects. In Africa, countries like Kenya face pressure for socio-economic development through blueprints such as Vision 2030 and the Big 4 agenda, which prioritize extractivism and large-scale infrastructure over alternative development models like doughnut economics.
• Conservation paradigms should shift toward rights-based approaches that recognize the role of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs). Indigenous peoples traditionally own, manage, or occupy at least 25% of global land, including 35% of formally protected areas and 35% of remaining terrestrial areas with very low human intervention. Biodiversity finance should be redirected from large agencies toward community-led conservation.
• Energy systems should be decentralized to prevent 'poverty of power' in local communities. In Kenya, the perceived power deficit is attributed to a lack of infrastructure and a central grid rather than a total lack of energy. Implementing smaller renewable projects, such as the solar plant in Garissa, would reduce the burden on the central grid and provide reliable, lower-cost power.
• Governance and legal reforms are needed to recognize the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment and the Rights of Nature. This includes decentralizing power to secure community land tenure, which increases resilience to climate change shocks through economic and cultural security.
• International organizations, specifically the United Nations, should more aggressively critique state actions and bilateral deals that risk environmental degradation, as the environment is a public good. There is a need to root Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) into law to prevent projects like the Lamu coal plant or Marsabit wind power plant from proceeding without community backing.
• The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the link between environmental health and human health. Biodiversity loss and climate change increase the vulnerability of indigenous peoples and local communities. Additionally, air pollution can exacerbate COVID-19 symptoms, and urban environments like informal settlements show higher risks of pathogen spread due to a lack of harmony with nature.

APA

Natural Justice (2020). Online Consultation: UN High-Level Political Forum 2020 for Work Stream on Protecting the Planet and Building Resilience. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Natural-Justice-submission_UN-High-Level-Political-Forum_Work-Stream-on-Protecting-the-Planet-and-Building-Resilience.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. Online Consultation: UN High-Level Political Forum 2020 for Work Stream on Protecting the Planet and Building Resilience. 2020. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Natural-Justice-submission_UN-High-Level-Political-Forum_Work-Stream-on-Protecting-the-Planet-and-Building-Resilience.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Natural Justice |title=Online Consultation: UN High-Level Political Forum 2020 for Work Stream on Protecting the Planet and Building Resilience |date=2020 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Natural-Justice-submission_UN-High-Level-Political-Forum_Work-Stream-on-Protecting-the-Planet-and-Building-Resilience.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{naturaljustice2020online, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{Online Consultation: UN High-Level Political Forum 2020 for Work Stream on Protecting the Planet and Building Resilience}}, publisher = {Natural Justice}, year = {2020}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Natural-Justice-submission_UN-High-Level-Political-Forum_Work-Stream-on-Protecting-the-Planet-and-Building-Resilience.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }