UN Experts Urge States to Center Human Rights in COP16 Decisions on Biodiversity

The experts urged a whole-of-society approach, ensuring the inclusion of women, Indigenous Peoples, youth, and rural communities, in biodiversity strategies.

Ahead of the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16), which will be held next week in Cali, Colombia, UN experts and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) have called on states to integrate human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, into their decisions and actions. In a joint statement, they emphasized the need to address the global crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution through a human rights-centered approach.

The experts highlighted the importance of implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022, which commits to a human rights-based approach, particularly recognizing Indigenous Peoples' rights. They stressed the urgency of ensuring that marginalized communities, who bear the brunt of these crises, are protected, and their rights upheld.

Key targets of the Framework, such as conserving 30% of the planet by 2030 and ensuring equitable participation in biodiversity decisions, must be achieved in ways that respect human rights. The experts urged a whole-of-society approach, ensuring the inclusion of women, Indigenous Peoples, youth, and rural communities, in biodiversity strategies.

They also emphasized the role of public and private actors in safeguarding the marine environment and called for systematic changes to reduce overconsumption and unsustainable production.

The statement concludes with a reaffirmation of the commitment to ensuring that human rights, particularly the right to a healthy environment, are integral to the decisions and outcomes of COP16. The experts look forward to supporting the COP16 presidency and other stakeholders in advancing human rights in biodiversity actions.