Protected Areas contribute to implementation of global policies
Here are some of the global policies that Protected Areas contribute to.
The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all the United Nations Member States in 2015. It has 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that urge us to change our world into a better place for people but also for the planet by 2030.
There are two SDGs that are directly linked with protected areas and both have area-based conservation targets and indicators:
Protected Areas contribute to these goals by maintaining their protection status and being effectively managed areas that achieve their conservation and sustainable use objectives and provide opportunities for sustainable development.
United Nations: Right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right
The highest decision-making entity of the United Nations, the UN General Assembly, agreed on a resolution in 2022 that “recognizes the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right”. The United Nations Human Rights Council had made a similar resolution in 2021.
Protected areas contribute to these goals by maintaining their protection status and being effectively managed areas that achieve their conservation and sustainable use objectives and when they are accessible to all people (if allowed under their designation).
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention has three goals:
- Conservation of biodiversity,
- Sustainable use of biodiversity,
- Sharing of benefits arising from the commercial and other utilisation of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way.
This Convention is the main Convention relating to Protected Areas. The Convention text includes a definition for Protected Areas in its Article 2. The Convention’s Article 8 relates directly to conservation of biodiversity through Protected Areas. Protected Areas are fulfilling the obligations of the Convention as such.
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was agreed on in 2022. It calls for an urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and help recovery of nature. This should happen by 2030 through implementation of 23 targets.
There are several targets that are related to Protected Areas, most notably “Target 3 Conserve 30% of Land, Waters and Seas”, the so-called 30×30 Target. The fulfilment of this Target would mean that 30% of terrestrial, inland water, and of coastal and marine areas will be protected via Protected Areas or other effective area-based conservation measures (the so-called OECMs) by 2030.
This is the most important target that protected areas are directly contributing to. However, the target also calls for Protected Areas to be effectively conserved and managed, and form ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems and recognize indigenous and traditional territories (where applicable) as stated in the Target 3.
There are further 14 targets that are related to Protected Areas.
Other important global conventions for area-based conservation are:
- The Convention on Wetlands or the Ramsar Convention (Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat)
- The World Heritage Convention (Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage) under UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)