HUMAN RIGHTS AND BIODIVERSITY WORKING GROUP GUIDE FOR IMPLEMENTATION

The document outlines how to apply a human rights-based approach (HRBA) to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), emphasizing the distinction between duty bearers and rights holders. It provides detailed guidance on identifying vulnerable groups—including Indigenous Peoples, women, youth, and environmental human rights defenders—and integrating principles of equity, participation, and access to justice into biodiversity planning, financing, and monitoring. The guide specifically maps the 23 GBF Targets to human rights actions, advocating for the recognition of traditional territories, the implementation of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and the adoption of gender-responsive policies to ensure that biodiversity conservation does not lead to human rights violations.

• A human rights-based approach (HRBA) to biodiversity requires a continuous analysis of power dynamics to empower rights holders to demand and exercise their rights, while strengthening the capacity of duty bearers—including states and certain businesses—to fulfill their obligations.
• The guide distinguishes between 'rights holders' (individuals or groups with specific entitlements) and 'stakeholders' (those with a general interest), asserting that this distinction is essential for determining consultation timing and legal obligations.
• Effective participation of children and youth in biodiversity decision-making must adhere to nine basic requirements, including that it be voluntary, respectful, inclusive, and accountable, to ensure intergenerational equity.
• Gender justice in biodiversity conservation requires addressing the disproportionate burdens faced by women and girls and recognizing their agency and traditional knowledge, as violations of women's rights and biodiversity degradation are reciprocally linked.
• For Indigenous Peoples, the guide emphasizes four critical rights areas: lands, territories and resources; the continuation of customary sustainable use; the transmission of traditional knowledge; and the requirement for Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
• Environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs) face severe risks, including killings, criminalization, and gender-based violence; the GBF Target 22 commits to their 'full protection' through legal safeguards and remedy mechanisms.
• Equity in area-based conservation is categorized into three dimensions: recognition (respecting rights and knowledge), procedure (ensuring transparency and access to justice), and distribution (fair sharing of benefits and burdens).
• Access to justice and information, as mandated by GBF Target 22, is supported by regional frameworks like the Aarhus Convention in Europe and the Escazú Agreement in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Businesses have a responsibility to respect human rights and the right to a healthy environment, which includes conducting human rights due diligence to identify and mitigate adverse impacts across their operations and supply chains.
• There is a significant gap in biodiversity and climate financing reaching Indigenous Peoples and local communities; between 2011 and 2020, less than 1% of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for climate change supported their tenure or forest management projects.
• The current GBF Monitoring Framework lacks adequate indicators for human rights-based approaches; the guide proposes using 'traditional knowledge indicators' and a composite indicator for the right to a healthy environment to fill this gap.
• The expansion of protected areas under Target 3 risks causing 'land grabs' or the appropriation of customary lands, necessitating the recognition of Indigenous and traditional territories as a distinct conservation category.

APA

Natural Justice (2024). HUMAN RIGHTS AND BIODIVERSITY WORKING GROUP GUIDE FOR IMPLEMENTATION. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/FP-5128-From-Agreements-to-Actions_v3.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. HUMAN RIGHTS AND BIODIVERSITY WORKING GROUP GUIDE FOR IMPLEMENTATION. 2024. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/FP-5128-From-Agreements-to-Actions_v3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=HUMAN RIGHTS AND BIODIVERSITY WORKING GROUP GUIDE FOR IMPLEMENTATION |date=2024 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/FP-5128-From-Agreements-to-Actions_v3.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2024human, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{HUMAN RIGHTS AND BIODIVERSITY WORKING GROUP GUIDE FOR IMPLEMENTATION}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2024}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/FP-5128-From-Agreements-to-Actions_v3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }