Nature conservation

The term “rights-based approach” (RBA) has been used in various contexts and defined in different ways. This publication applies the approach specifically in exploring the linkages between conservation and respect for internationally and nationally guaranteed human rights.

Conservation for a New Era outlines the critical issues facing us in the 21st century, developed from the results of the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona in October 2008. The landmark publication takes on the pressing issues of today and highlights the solutions to be found through investing in nature. The book is essential reading for governments, businesses and decision makers.

Marine resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) are under increasing pressure from human impacts, putting at risk biodiversity, ecosystem processes and function. There is a heightened focus on whether current arrangements and policies are adequate. This paper explores possible elements of a new instrument to protect such biodiversity – an Implementation Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Sixty-four percent of the world ocean lies in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). The first paper in this four-part series was prepared to address the question of whether there is a regulatory or governance gap in the international regime for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) and, if so, how it should be addressed. The study reveals that important regulatory and governance gaps still exist.

The southwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula is a global hot spot of biodiversity. High mountain areas show an outstanding diversity of plant species, while the region is one of the last remaining retreats of large European carnivores, such as bear, wolf and lynx. The border areas in the project region, as in many countries adjoining the European Green Belt, represent some of the last intact nature sites.