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

The report analyzes how 16 reporting jurisdictions and several others in development operationalize OECMs through five primary pathways: ministerial instruments, national guidelines, administrative procedures, sector-based recognition, and mechanisms for areas beyond national jurisdiction. It finds a strong global convergence toward the terminology and criteria of CBD Decision 14/8, while noting that most countries prefer non-legislative policy tools over new laws to achieve conservation outcomes.

• Global reporting of OECMs has seen rapid growth 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 over 6,500.
• National authorities use five main legal and policy pathways to operationalize 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 (ABNJ).
• Administrative procedures are the most common pathway among jurisdictions that have already reported OECMs (37.5%), followed by sector-based recognition (31.2%).
• Among jurisdictions currently developing OECM frameworks, there is a shift toward using national guidelines and policy frameworks, which represent 46.2% of the chosen pathways.
• There is a high degree of international coherence and alignment with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Decision 14/8, with most jurisdictions adopting its definition and four core criteria for OECM recognition.
• Sector-based recognition allows countries to identify OECMs by applying CBD criteria to existing regimes—such as fisheries, cultural landscapes, or resource management—without requiring new environmental legislation.
• The first OECMs in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) have been identified through the decisions of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs), specifically regarding high-seas Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs).
• Regional trends show that Latin America prefers formal but flexible ministerial instruments, Africa leverages existing community and cultural governance, 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/1941/Advancing_Legal_and_Policy_Frameworks_for_OECMs_-_web.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/1941/Advancing_Legal_and_Policy_Frameworks_for_OECMs_-_web.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/1941/Advancing_Legal_and_Policy_Frameworks_for_OECMs_-_web.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/1941/Advancing_Legal_and_Policy_Frameworks_for_OECMs_-_web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }