DECISION ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
14/17. Integration of Article 8(j) and provisions related to indigenous peoples and local communities in the work of the Convention and its Protocols
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has developed the IPBES ILK Approach to guide work on indigenous and local knowledge. The IPBES Global Assessment (GA) was the first global scale assessment to engage systematically with ILK and showed that existing knowledge is fragmented and lacks integration between social and natural sciences and that integrating different world views in requires increased dialogue and agreement. IPBES has established an ILK Task Force and Technical Support Unit.
The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity. is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, thereby contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The Nagoya Protocol sets out core obligations for its contracting Parties to take measures in relation to access to genetic resources, benefit-sharing and compliance. The Nagoya Protocol addresses traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources with provisions on access, benefit-sharing, and compliance. It also addresses genetic resources where indigenous and local communities have the established right to grant access to them. Contracting Parties should take measures to ensure these communities’ free, prior, informed consent, keeping in mind community laws and procedures as well as customary use and exchange. The Nagoya Protocol entered into force on 12 October 2014.
How to use
The Nagoya Protocol is available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian at: https://www.cbd.int/abs
Nagoya Protocol Factsheets on access and benefit sharing can be downloaded at: https://www.cbd.int/abs/factsheet
Rural communities in certain parts of the world depend heavily on species of wild animals and plants for their livelihoods. Parties to CITES recognize the potential impacts of CITES-listing decisions on the livelihoods of rural communities, noting inthe meantime that effective implementation of CITES decisions can form part of a strategy to provide sustainable livelihoods for rural communities, consistent with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [Resolution Conf. 16.6 (Rev. CoP18)].
In order to better assess potential positive and negative impacts of CITES listing decisions, and to maximize the benefits of legal trade to rural communities and species conservation, various tools and case studies have been developed.
People in Nature (PiN) is an approach to systematically identify and document the value and uses (both material and cultural) of biodiversity – identifying where in the landscape the benefits can be found, and understanding how these benefits are realised and distributed. Applying this approach though conducting a PiN assessment can help project developers with setting ecological and livelihoods baselines, designing site-relevant monitoring and evaluation systems, and informing priority-setting for activities – both for specific species and/or habitats, and to maximise positive livelihoods outcomes.
The governments of the world adopted the following definition of an OECM in 2018: “A geographically defined area other than a Protected Area, which is governed and managed in ways that achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in-situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated ecosystem functions and services and where applicable, cultural, spiritual, socio–economic, and other locally relevant values”. OECMs complement protected areas through sustained, positive conservation outcomes, even though they may be managed primarily for other reasons. These sites are documented in the World Database on OECMs. This definition was only recently adopted and most countries have not yet provided data, but this does not mean that no OECMs exist in those countries. The World Database on OECMs is available on the Protected Planet website.
How to use
For IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) guidance on recognising OECMs:
https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2019.PATRS.3.en
To search for information on an existing site on the World Database on OECMs:
https://resources.unep-wcmc.org/products/4c1733823f2a451e8d5ecbaaef3f1a06WDPA
Species360 is a non-profit NGO working in wildlife care to improve animal welfare and species conservation. It mobilizes a network of more than 1,300 aquarium, zoo, university, research, and governmental members in 102 countries. A central part of is the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS), the world’s leading resource for the collection and sharing of data on animals, enabling ex situ institutions to manage their collections effectively and contribute valuable information to global conservation initiatives. ZIMS is the world’s most comprehensive knowledge database on more than 22,000 species. In 2022, Species360 expanded its mission to include flora and extend its operations to horticultural record-keeping, with the addition of Hortis – a specialized software for record-keeping and management of botanical collections.
How to use
Information on Species 360, ZIMS, and Hortis is available at: https://species360.org/about-us/about-species360/
To access Species 360 data it is necessary to register: https://species360.org/become-a-species360-member/
The Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP) is a global initiative to promote the development, delivery, and use of biodiversity indicators. Its primary role is to delivering indicators to monitor progress toward global and national goals and targets, such as those under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Convention on Migratory Species, Ramsar, and others. The BIP also supports indicators used in IPBES Assessment reports and for reporting progress towards Sustainable Development Goals. Indicators supported by the BIP are also used by national and regional governments.
How to use
The database has been developed by the IUCN SSC Species Monitoring Specialist Group with support from Re:wild. It includes 178 global data sources on: monitoring biodiversity state, pressures and threats; monitoring conservation responses to biodiversity loss, and those with multiple uses for biodiversity monitoring. A fact sheet answering frequently asked questions about the database is also available. The Species Monitoring Specialist Group is a voluntary network of experts from around the world and includes specialists on different species and taxa, on different monitoring techniques and issues, and on different types of data use. The group aims to enhance conservation by improving the flow of species data from collection point to decision-maker.
How to use
Version 3.0 of the database and the fact sheet can be downloaded at: https://www.speciesmonitoring.org/data-sources.html
A selection of Manuals, Guidelines and Methods Reviews is available at:
https://www.speciesmonitoring.org/guidelines-and-tools.html
To contact the Species monitoring Specialist Group: SpeciesMonitoring@gmail.com
The Living Planet Index measures the state of the world’s biodiversity based on population trends of vertebrate species from terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats. The LPI has been adopted by the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) as an indicator of progress towards its targets. The LPI is compiled by WWF and ZSL based on trends in thousands of population time-series data collected from monitored sites around the world. The Living Planet Database contains population time-series data on the abundance of tens of thousands of vertebrate species between 1970 and 2021. It is publicly available, except for some confidential records that cannot be shared.
How to use
In some parts of the world, whale products play an important role in the nutritional and cultural life of native peoples. Four IWC member countries conduct aboriginal subsistence hunts today: Denmark (Greenland), Russia (Chukotka), St Vincent and the Grenadines (Bequia) and the United States (Alaska and also potentially a resumption of hunts previously undertaken by the Makah Tribe of Washington State).
From the outset, the IWC recognised that indigenous or aboriginal subsistence whaling is not the same as commercial whaling. Aboriginal whaling does not seek to maximise catches or profit. It is categorised differently by the IWC and is not subject to the moratorium. The IWC recognises that its regulations have the potential to impact significantly on traditional cultures, and great care must be taken in discharging this responsibility.
In summary, the IWC objectives for management of aboriginal subsistence whaling are to ensure that hunted whale populations are maintained at (or brought back to) healthy levels, and to enable native people to hunt whales at levels that are appropriate to cultural and nutritional requirements in the long term.
The Declaration is a comprehensive instrument detailing the rights of indigenous peoples in international law and policy. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, wellbeing and rights of the world’s indigenous peoples.
The Declaration addresses both individual and collective rights; cultural rights and identity; rights to education, health, employment, language, and others. It outlaws discrimination against indigenous peoples and promotes their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them.
It also ensures their right to remain distinct and to pursue their own priorities in economic, social and cultural development. The Declaration explicitly encourages harmonious and cooperative relations between States and indigenous peoples.
