Recognising and Supporting OECMs
Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) will be a critical element in achieving more ambitious targets for protected and conserved areas under the new Global Biodiversity Framework of the CBD.
This session on “Recognizing, Support and Reporting OECMs” was hosted by the IUCN WCPA Specialist Group on OECMs in the Protected Planet Pavilion on September 6. The purpose of the event was to provide updates since the 2018 CBD decision 14/8 that defines “other effective areas-based conservation measures” (OECMs) on how Parties are progressing with OECM recognition, including opportunities and challenges.
Dr. Stacy Jupiter, WCS Melanesia Regional Director and member of the Specialist Group, provided a short presentation on opportunities and challenges of OECM recognition specific to the Pacific Islands region. In the Pacific, OECMs recognition potentially offers opportunity to channel resources to hundreds thousands of existing areas managed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) for other objectives (e.g., sustainable use, cultural practice, managed access) in ways that strengthen local rights. Specific challenges include ensuring that applied definitions of effectiveness and equity are inclusive of local world views and ensuring that cost requirements for monitoring do not overburden local managers and come at a tradeoff to implementation.
Moderator
Ms. Jennifer KELLEHER, Programme Lead, Governance, Equity and Rights, IUCN
Panel
- Mr. Harry JONAS, Co-Chair, IUCN WCPA
- Mr. Daniel MARNEWICK, Programme Officer, IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas
- Ms. Heather BINGHAM, Senior Programme Officer - Protected Planet Initiative, UNEP-WCMC
- Dr. Stacy JUPITER, Regional Director, WCS Melanesia