Help Indigenous Peoples regain their land rights! – Avaaz

Report on the Integration of Indigenous Land Rights into the Global Biodiversity Framework and Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

This report examines the critical need to integrate the land and territorial rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) into the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Securing these rights is not only a matter of justice but is also fundamental to achieving global conservation targets and a range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Analysis of recent data and policy proposals indicates that a rights-based conservation model is the most effective path forward for protecting global biodiversity.

The Centrality of IPLC Territories to SDG 15: Life on Land

Statistical Significance of IPLC-Managed Lands

The contribution of IPLCs to global conservation is substantial and essential for meeting the targets of SDG 15. Current data reveals a significant overlap between biodiversity hotspots and IPLC territories.

• IPLC territories, combined with government-protected areas, place approximately 34.5% of the world’s land area under some form of protective governance.
• Lands managed by IPLCs harbor as much as 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity, making them critical zones for conservation.
• Studies demonstrate that IPLC-managed lands are equally or more effective at delivering conservation outcomes than state-managed protected areas, particularly in Africa and Latin America, where deforestation rates are two to three times lower in legally recognized Indigenous lands.

The Land Tenure Gap: A Barrier to Conservation and Development

A primary obstacle to leveraging the full potential of IPLC conservation is the lack of formal, legal recognition of their land tenure. This gap directly undermines progress on multiple SDGs.

1. It is estimated that IPLCs have customary claims to at least 50% of the world’s land.
2. However, governments legally recognize their ownership of only 10% of this land (one-fifth of their customary territories).
3. This insecurity of tenure prevents the formal recognition of many IPLC territories as “protected” or “conserved” areas, such as Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs), under international conventions.

A Rights-Based Approach: Aligning Conservation with SDG 10 and SDG 16

Addressing Historical Injustices in Conservation

The global conservation movement has a legacy of “fortress conservation,” which has often led to the displacement and abuse of IPLCs. This history has created significant distrust, jeopardizing partnerships needed to achieve the SDGs. A rights-based approach is essential for ensuring that conservation efforts advance, rather than hinder, SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

• Human rights organizations have documented abuses in conservation projects, leading to initiatives like the “Marseilles Manifesto,” which calls for a halt to new protected areas that displace IPLCs.
• The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) legally obliges governments, through Articles 8(j) and 10(c), to respect and promote the traditional knowledge and practices of Indigenous groups. However, implementation has been weak, and IPLCs remain marginalized in decision-making processes.

Policy Imperatives for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

To create a just and effective GBF, policy frameworks must place IPLC rights at their core. Advocacy groups are calling for specific, actionable targets that link conservation with tenure security.

1. A New Goal for IPLC Inclusion: A proposal by the human rights group Avaaz calls for a new goal within the GBF to ensure the 2050 vision for biodiversity explicitly includes IPLCs.
2. A New Target for Land Rights: The proposal also includes a new, time-bound target to legally safeguard IPLC rights over their lands and waters by 2025.
3. Adoption of Rights-Based Conservation: This approach mandates that securing customary land and territorial rights is a central component of any strategy to meet spatial conservation targets (e.g., protecting 30% or 50% of the planet).

Conclusion: An Integrated Strategy for Biodiversity, Climate, and Justice

The evidence is clear: conservation goals cannot be achieved without securing the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. Integrating land tenure into the post-2020 GBF is a powerful strategy for accelerating progress across multiple Sustainable Development Goals.

• SDG 15 (Life on Land): Recognizing IPLC land tenure is a direct and proven method of conserving biodiversity and preventing ecosystem collapse.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): Protecting IPLC-managed forests and lands is a critical, nature-based solution for climate mitigation, as affirmed by the IPCC.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) & SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): A rights-based approach corrects historical injustices, prevents land grabs by extractive industries, and builds the strong, inclusive institutions necessary for sustainable development.

Therefore, for governments to count the vast, biodiverse lands managed by IPLCs toward their official conservation targets, they must first guarantee legal tenure and provide direct financial support for community-led conservation efforts. This alignment of conservation and human rights offers the most viable path to a sustainable future for both people and nature.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 15: Life on Land

• The article’s central theme is the conservation of biodiversity and the protection of terrestrial ecosystems. It explicitly discusses the goal to “save biodiversity and reverse the extinction crisis” and the importance of IPLC lands, which “harbor as much as 80% of the world’s biodiversity.” It also addresses deforestation, noting that in Latin America, “deforestation rates are 2-3 times lower… in legally recognized Indigenous lands.”

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The article heavily emphasizes the need for legal recognition of Indigenous land rights and tenure. It highlights the “legacy of human rights abuses related to conservation” and calls for an end to the marginalization of IPLCs from decision-making processes. The push for “rights-based conservation” and securing legal title to lands directly relates to promoting the rule of law and ensuring equal access to justice.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The article points out the systemic exclusion and marginalization of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. It quotes a document stating, “IPLCs have historically been excluded from important discussions and decisions about the lands they inhabit.” The call to place IPLCs “at the center of a new social contract” and ensure their inclusion in the Global Biodiversity Framework is a direct effort to reduce the inequalities they face.

SDG 1: No Poverty

• The article connects land rights directly to the livelihoods and security of IPLCs. Securing land tenure is a fundamental step in providing these communities with control over their resources and economic future. The article states that “large, legally designated territories are necessary for indigenous peoples to maintain their traditional livelihoods,” which is crucial for poverty alleviation.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Target 15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems. The article’s discussion of protecting 30% or 50% of the planet, including IPLC lands, directly supports this target.
• Target 15.2: Promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally. The article provides evidence that securing IPLC land tenure is an effective strategy to halt deforestation.
• Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. The entire article is framed around the urgency of the “extinction crisis” and presents IPLC land rights as a key solution to halt biodiversity loss.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. The central demand for governments to “guarantee land tenure” and provide “legal title to their lands” is a call to apply the rule of law to protect IPLC rights.
• Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. The article criticizes how “IPLCs still have largely been marginalized from the UN halls of power” and advocates for “Centering Indigenous Peoples in Decision-making.”

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. The article’s call to end the “era of marginalization” and include IPLCs in the Global Biodiversity Framework directly aligns with this target of political inclusion.

SDG 1: No Poverty

• Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property. The article’s primary focus on securing land tenure for IPLCs, who often lack legal title despite occupying lands for generations, is a direct reflection of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for Land Tenure and Governance (SDG 1.4, SDG 16.3)

• Proportion of IPLC land with legally recognized tenure: The article explicitly states that while at least half the world’s land is within IPLC territories, “governments recognize legal ownership of only one-fifth of these lands.” This provides a clear baseline and metric for progress.

Indicators for Conservation and Biodiversity (SDG 15.1, 15.5)

• Percentage of terrestrial area under protection: The article discusses the “30% protection target” and the call to protect “50% of the world’s lands and seas by 2030,” which serve as clear quantitative indicators. It also notes that including IPLC lands brings the current total to “approximately 34.5% of the world’s land area under protective governance.”
• Rate of biodiversity loss: The article mentions the loss of “two-thirds of all animal populations in the last 50 years” as a macro-indicator of the ongoing biodiversity crisis that conservation efforts aim to reverse.

Indicators for Deforestation (SDG 15.2)

• Comparative deforestation rates: The article cites a finding that “deforestation rates are 2-3 times lower than the background rate of deforestation in legally recognized Indigenous lands.” This provides a specific, measurable indicator of the effectiveness of IPLC land management in preventing deforestation.

Indicators for Inclusion (SDG 10.2, SDG 16.7)

• Level of IPLC participation in global frameworks: While not a quantitative metric, the article implies this as an indicator by highlighting the historical exclusion of IPLCs from CBD negotiations and the new call for a “goal (Goal E), that ensures the 2050 vision includes IPLCs” within the Global Biodiversity Framework. Progress could be measured by the formal inclusion and influence of IPLCs in such negotiations.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: oneearth.org