ASG Brands Kehris: preservation of marine, coastal and island biodiversity must be rooted in human rights

Distinguished delegates,

It is an honour to close today’s discussion on advancing a human rights-based approach to protecting marine, coastal and island biodiversity, and on promoting the protection of environmental human rights defenders engaged in the conservation of marine, coastal and island biodiversity.

The ocean moderates the climate, powers the hydrological cycle, provides a source of livelihood and nutrition for many, and supports rich and diverse cultural practices. We depend on the ocean to support the effective enjoyment of our rights to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, life, health, food, water, culture, and many others.

Ultimately, all life on earth relies upon healthy ocean ecosystems and the loss of marine, coastal and island biodiversity has major implications for human rights. However, marine biodiversity is experiencing major adverse impacts including due to overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change, leading to the weakening of the ocean’s ability to perform its essential functions. Marine and coastal conservation is thus imperative.

As you have heard from our panel today, such conservation needs to be rooted in human rights, including gender equality.

Effective measures are needed to ensure that Indigenous Peoples, coastal communities, including small-scale fisherpeople and others who depend on ocean resources for their food security, livelihoods and cultural practices are not exposed to human rights violations from designation of marine protected areas or restrictions on fishing due to large-scale conservation initiatives.

Adoption of marine, coastal and island biodiversity conservation measures without full and effective participation of the people dependent on them may cause a loss or restriction of access to traditional fishing territories, among other impacts, jeopardising the economic stability of communities and the rights of affected people including to an adequate standard of living. The exclusion of those who depend on the ocean from the planning and management of conservation areas can lead to marginalization and the erosion of their cultural practices, leading to discrimination and adverse impacts on cultural rights, among others.

On the other hand, community-based conservation that follows a human rights-based, gender-responsive approach can foster both ecological and socially beneficial outcomes, respecting the rights of affected people, including small-scale fisherpeople while achieving conservation goals.

In order to meet conservation goals in an effective and equitable manner, it is necessary to recognise and to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and coastal, including small-scale fishing communities, over their territories and uphold the rights of all who depend on oceans.

This is an obligation under international human rights law. So is the protection of environmental human rights defenders, including those engaged in protecting marine, coastal and island biodiversity. The rights to participation, access information and access to justice very importantly need to be guaranteed.

By involving coastal communities in decision-making, conservation initiatives can harness their knowledge of marine ecosystems, and that of course will result in more effective and equitable management of resources.

Conservation efforts must also be gender-responsive. Women often play key roles in small-scale fisheries and environmental stewardship but may lack representation in decision-making may lack, even often lack I would say, and have less secure rights over their lands, resources and territories.

Their rights, including to full, equitable, inclusive, effective and gender-responsive representation and participation have to be guaranteed in decision-making on conservation measures.

We need to make sure we do not forget about the human element of marine and coastal conservation. It is imperative to incorporate human rights in the outcomes of multilateral environmental processes related to oceans and coasts, including those of COP16.

The conservation of marine, coastal and island biodiversity must follow a human rights-based approach – in accordance with international human rights law, as well as Section C of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. COP16’s outcomes should reflect that.

Only by grounding the conservation of the ocean in human rights-based approach can we ensure that that no one, truly no one is left behind.