RFUK Endorses UNEP’s Core Human Rights Principles for Private Conservation Organisations and Funders

13 December 2024

Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) has announced its support of the Core Human Rights Principles for Private Conservation Organizations and Funders, published this week following a multistakeholder process led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

These principles mark a significant step forward in addressing the intersection of biodiversity conservation and human rights, emphasising that conservation efforts must protect both ecosystems and the rights of the communities who have long served as their stewards.

RFUK and our local partners’ investigations into the human rights impacts of strictly protected areas in the Congo Basin have been instrumental in prompting key reforms in the way that international biodiversity conservation efforts are funded. Today, institutional donors such as the US and Germany have introduced new regulations for ensuring their programmes obtain the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of local people, respect their land rights and allow for access to grievance and redress mechanisms (GRMs), for example. While there remain significant gaps between the existence of such rules and their realisation on the ground, as our recent report on GRMs has shown, they at least provide a basis for conservation actors to be held more accountable to local communities impacted by their interventions.

Until now, there have been few such standards for private conservation funders and organisations, whose billions of dollars account for an increasing share of the international biodiversity funding landscape.

The principles, which RFUK contributed to in their early stages of development, were developed over two years (2022–2024) through extensive consultations with Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant and other tribal communities, rights-based organisations, private conservation entities, funders and experts. They provide a comprehensive framework to ensure that private conservation initiatives uphold and respect human rights, particularly for Indigenous Peoples, smallholder farmers and other communities directly dependent on natural ecosystems.

Rather than creating new rights, the principles clarify the application of existing international human rights standards to private conservation. They aim to prevent human rights abuses, ensure meaningful participation of affected communities and guarantee accountability through effective remedies.

By adopting these principles, private conservation organisations and funders can contribute to a rights-based implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), ensuring that efforts to halt biodiversity loss are inclusive and just.

The 10 Core Principles

The Core Human Rights Principles for Private Conservation Organisations and Funders outline key commitments:

  1. Respect Human Rights
  2. Respect the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
  3. Respect the Rights of All Communities, Groups, and Individuals
  4. Undertake Human Rights Due Diligence
  5. Engage in Good Faith Consultation
  6. Prevent Human Rights Abuses
  7. Provide for Effective Remedies
  8. Protect Against Human Rights Violations and Abuses in Relationships
  9. Protect Against Human Rights Violations in Law Enforcement
  10. Report Regularly on Human Rights

While these principles are only voluntary, they nonetheless provide an important framework for holding private conservation funders and organisations accountable for the human rights impacts of their programmes. RFUK therefore calls on such groups to fully embrace these principles,” said Joe Eisen, RFUK Executive Director. “Only by respecting human rights can we achieve conservation outcomes that are truly sustainable and just for all.

Core Human Rights Principles for Private Conservation Organizations and Funders can be accessed here.

To learn more about RFUK’s Sustainable Conservation and Human Rights campaign, you can learn more here.

UNEP

Share this:

Load More