Description

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) and the Paris Agreement recognize the importance of respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights with regard to biodiversity and climate action. The former especially states that its implementation requires a Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA). An HRBA ensures that policies, governance and actions actively seek ways to support and promote human rights in their design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, learning and funding.

 

An HRBA seeks to ensure that actions, policies and projects consider the potential impacts on different groups of people (right-holders) and ensure the effective enjoyment of human rights and a healthy environment for all. Adopting an HRBA for biodiversity and climate action involves identifying power dynamics, intersectionality, inequalities and discrimination, as well as providing transparency and strong accountability through monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

 

The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network (BES-Net), a partnership-driven initiative by UNDP, UNEP-WCMC and UNESCO, together with SwedBio, Soka Gakkai International, Climate Development and Knowledge Network, and FOCALI, conducted a dialogue process between May and October 2024 for advancing an HRBA for biodiversity and climate action. This dialogue process comprised a series of preparatory workshops, both in-person and online, which have led to a final multi-actor dialogue at COP-16. Stakeholders engaged included Indigenous Peoples and local communities, women, youths, NGOs, State Parties, researchers and practitioners.     

 

The core aim was to strengthen the capacity of various actors in understanding and implementing HRBA for biodiversity and climate action.  The dialogue process was supported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD).

 

Aim

This side event aims to present the outcomes and findings of the dialogue process on the HRBA for biodiversity and climate action including the following:

 

• A vision of what an HRBA means for the implementation of biodiversity and climate action and the necessary steps to be taken for its implementation.

• Opportunities in implementing an HRBA for biodiversity and climate action to generate learnings, including considerations for Parties’ National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets. 

• Example of best practices on implementing biodiversity and climate action from various actors, showcasing why an HRBA is often the most strategic pathway to address the intertwining social-ecological challenges.

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Speakers will include representatives from State parties, Women, IP & LC, Youth, Researcher/practitioner, Funder.