How do National Biodiversity and Strategy and Action Plans reflect a Human Rights Based Approach?

The Human Rights and Biodiversity Working Group (HR&BD WG) is a collective of diverse individual experts and representatives from organizations working at the intersection of biodiversity and human rights. The Group promotes understanding and inclusion of a human rights-based approach (HRBA) within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) with focus on the implementation of Section C (considerations for implementation) within Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) with SwedBio as it's coordinating organisation.

The HR&BD WG’ decided to conduct a qualitative assessment of how an HRBA had been reflected in NBSAPs and NTs through analysis of 31 NBSAPs and 24 National Targets. The assessment included both a rapid and a deeper evaluation of selected NBSAPs and NTs.

The qualitative assessment was based on a checklist of key components of a Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA)’. The assessment looked at how targets integrated HRBA elements and, in half of the NBSAPs, the analysis also covered if the narrative embedded a HRBA, and how actions, modalities, and indicators supported human rights.

Contributors to this Assessment are – Cristina Eghenter (World Wildlife Fund), Shruti Ajit, Meenal Tatpati (WomenBiodiversity), Maren Kraushaar (GIZ/ NBSAP Accelerator), Amelia Arreguin (CBD Women’s Caucus/Forest Peoples Programme), Sefa Tauli (Global Youth Biodiversity Network), Laura Lapalma (Fundacion Ambiente Y Recursos Naturales), and Fatima El Aaraby (CBD Women’s Caucus).

HRBA Assessment Countries: NBSAPS: Mexico, Germany, Colombia, Argentina, Libya, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Tanzania and Australia; National Targets: Philippines, Cameroon, Chile, Bolivia, Morocco, Uganda

Rapid Assessment Countries: NBSAPs: Austria, Burkina Faso, China, Cuba, Denmark, European Union, France, Italy Netherlands, Norway; National Targets: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bhutan, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Croatia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Finland, Ghana, Kenya, Panama

For more details please reach out to ceghenter@wwfint.org and shrutiajit16@gmail.com

2025-10-28