Article 28 Juil, 2016

Task force on other effective area-based conservation measures

In 2010, the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 10/CBD) adopted the Aichi Biodiversity Targets as part of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. Target 11 calls for “at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas” to be conserved by way of “well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs).

In response to an IUCN resolution from the World Conservation Congress in Jeju, the World Commission on Protected Areas established a Task Force to help provide guidance to IUCN members and Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The OECM Task Force now has over 100 members from over 30 countries and has held two expert meetings (in Cambridge and Vilm). At the twentieth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice in Montreal in April 2016, Parties called on the Executive Secretary of the CBD to develop further guidance and case studies on OECMs, including the efforts of the IUCN task force and others.

A meeting was held at the International Academy on Nature Conservation on the island of Vilm, Germany from 30 June

to 4 July with generous sponsorship from the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Twenty-two participants from eleven countries, ranging from Indonesia to South and West Africa, Colombia and Peru gathered to present and review case studies of potential OECMs. Case studies covered a range of interesting initiatives in marine and terrestrial habitats including indigenous, community and privately managed areas as well as national efforts to encourage better connectivity between designated protected areas. Case studies included areas that would meet the IUCN definition of a protected area but are not yet recognised or reported by national governments as protected areas as well as some areas that provide secondary or ancillary conservation. A report from the meeting is being prepared and will be published by BfN with case studies.

The Task Force held an event at the Protected Planet Pavilion at the IUCN Congress 2016 in Hawai‘i to present an update on progress. In the meantime we are soliciting additional case studies. Anyone wishing to submit a case study please use the linked template (top right) and send to the Task Force.

For further information, please contact Kathy MacKinnon and Harry Jonas.