Report of the Thematic Workshop on Human Rights as enabling condition in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

The report details a workshop held in Thailand that produced text proposals and key messages to weave human rights into the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. It argues that human rights and a healthy planet are mutually dependent and suggests that the framework must move beyond a utilitarian view of nature to recognize the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, particularly regarding land tenure and the protection of environmental defenders.

• The workshop participants assert that human rights and environmental health are interdependent, arguing that a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment requires the respect, protection, and fulfillment of human rights.
• The report argues that the zero-draft of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework fails to deliver transformative change and relies too heavily on a utilitarian approach that views nature only in terms of "services" and "benefits".
• Participants proposed specific additions to the framework's targets, including the global recognition of the right to a clean, healthy, safe, and sustainable environment, and the securing of indigenous peoples' and local communities' rights to lands, territories, and resources.
• The report highlights the need for a safe environment for environmental defenders, specifically indigenous peoples, local communities, and women, to operate without facing threats, harassment, intimidation, or violence.
• The workshop suggests that the framework should halt the expansion of unsustainable economic growth models that harm both biodiversity and human rights, specifically citing mining, industrial agriculture, and large infrastructure projects.
• Regarding protected areas, the report recommends defining or deleting the term "strict protection" to prevent repeated human rights violations, especially in areas with existing human habitation.
• Findings from visits to Karen indigenous communities in Thailand demonstrated that traditional knowledge and rotational farming systems effectively maintain biodiversity and livelihoods over several hundred years.
• The report identifies a gap in the zero-draft regarding the recognition of indigenous identities, noting that some governments, such as Thailand and other Asian countries, do not recognize indigenous peoples.
• The workshop proposes that the framework's monitoring and reporting mechanisms be expanded to include non-State reporting, such as shadow reports from civil society and the Human Rights Council Special Procedures.

APA

Natural Justice (2020). Report of the Thematic Workshop on Human Rights as enabling condition in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/WS_HR_in_CBD_post2020_GBF_Report_FIN_200223.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. Report of the Thematic Workshop on Human Rights as enabling condition in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. 2020. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/WS_HR_in_CBD_post2020_GBF_Report_FIN_200223.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=Report of the Thematic Workshop on Human Rights as enabling condition in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework |date=2020 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/WS_HR_in_CBD_post2020_GBF_Report_FIN_200223.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2020report, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{Report of the Thematic Workshop on Human Rights as enabling condition in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2020}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/WS_HR_in_CBD_post2020_GBF_Report_FIN_200223.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }