ADVANCING LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS FOR OTHER EFFECTIVE AREA-BASED CONSERVATION MEASURES (OECMs): GLOBAL LESSONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE

The report provides a comparative analysis of how 16 countries and territories are operationalising OECMs through five primary legal and policy pathways: ministerial instruments, national guidelines, administrative procedures, sector-based recognition, and mechanisms for areas beyond national jurisdiction. It finds a high degree of global convergence and alignment with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Decision 14/8 criteria, while noting that countries adapt these standards to fit their specific governance and legal contexts. The document highlights the rapid growth in OECM reporting between 2021 and 2025 and provides recommendations for scaling these frameworks globally.

• Global reporting of OECMs grew significantly between 2021 and 2025, with the number of reporting jurisdictions increasing from 4 to 16 and the number of reported sites rising from fewer than 50 to more than 6,500.
• National authorities use five main categories of mechanisms to operationalise OECMs: ministerial and departmental legal instruments, national guidelines and policy frameworks, administrative procedures, sector-based recognition under existing designations, and mechanisms for areas beyond national jurisdiction.
• Administrative procedures are the most common pathway for reporting jurisdictions (37.5%), where government agencies apply existing laws to screen and confirm sites without needing new regulations.
• The first confirmed OECMs in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) have been established through Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs), specifically designating High-seas Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs).
• There is strong international coherence in OECM implementation, with most jurisdictions directly aligning with or slightly adapting the terminology, definitions, and four core criteria set out in CBD Decision 14/8.
• Jurisdictions currently developing OECM frameworks show a different trend than those already reporting, with a higher preference for national guidelines and policy frameworks (46.2%) over other pathways.
• Regional leadership in OECM implementation varies: Latin America prefers formal ministerial instruments, Africa leverages existing community and cultural designations, and Asia-Pacific is highly active in developing administrative and policy instruments.

APA

de Garibay, D. D. R., Jonas, D. H., Segger, P. M.-C. C., Medaglia, P. J. C., Deza, J., Rao, T., Zlatanova, R., Falconi, E., & Ruiz, L. (2026). ADVANCING LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS FOR OTHER EFFECTIVE AREA-BASED CONSERVATION MEASURES (OECMs): GLOBAL LESSONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1942/Advancing_Legal_and_Policy_Frameworks_for_OECMs_-_high_res.pdf

Chicago

de Garibay, Dr Daniel Ruiz, Dr Harry Jonas, Professor Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, Professor Jorge Cabrera Medaglia, Johana Deza, Tejas Rao, Ryan Zlatanova, Esteban Falconi, and Lucía Ruiz. ADVANCING LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS FOR OTHER EFFECTIVE AREA-BASED CONSERVATION MEASURES (OECMs): GLOBAL LESSONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE. WWF International, 2026. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1942/Advancing_Legal_and_Policy_Frameworks_for_OECMs_-_high_res.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Garibay |first1=Dr Daniel Ruiz |last2=Jonas |first2=Dr Harry |last3=Segger |first3=Professor Marie-Claire Cordonier |last4=Medaglia |first4=Professor Jorge Cabrera |last5=Deza |first5=Johana |last6=Rao |first6=Tejas |last7=Zlatanova |first7=Ryan |last8=Falconi |first8=Esteban |last9=Ruiz |first9=Lucía |title=ADVANCING LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS FOR OTHER EFFECTIVE AREA-BASED CONSERVATION MEASURES (OECMs): GLOBAL LESSONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE |publisher=WWF International |date=2026 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1942/Advancing_Legal_and_Policy_Frameworks_for_OECMs_-_high_res.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{degaribay2026advancing, author = {de Garibay, Dr Daniel Ruiz and Jonas, Dr Harry and Segger, Professor Marie-Claire Cordonier and Medaglia, Professor Jorge Cabrera and Deza, Johana and Rao, Tejas and Zlatanova, Ryan and Falconi, Esteban and Ruiz, Lucía}, title = {{ADVANCING LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS FOR OTHER EFFECTIVE AREA-BASED CONSERVATION MEASURES (OECMs): GLOBAL LESSONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2026}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1942/Advancing_Legal_and_Policy_Frameworks_for_OECMs_-_high_res.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }