13 December 2021: CIL Director Dr Nilüfer Oral was Invited to Speak at the Event

“Looking Ahead to the CBD COP15: Opportunities and Challenges Posed by Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs)” Organized in Conjunction with the Asian Environmental Law Congress

The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL), in partnership with the Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law (APCEL) and the Centre for International Law (CIL) at the National University of Singapore are pleased to organize this webinar on ‘Sharing lessons and progress in identifying Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures’.

Background

At the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP CBD 14) in 2018, Parties adopted Decision 14/8 on ‘protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures’ (OECMs), containing scientific and technical advice for OECMs. The decision defines an ‘other effective area-based conservation measure´ as:

“a geographically defined area other than a Protected Area, which is governed and managed in ways that achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated ecosystem functions and services and where applicable, cultural, spiritual, socio–economic, and other locally relevant values.“

OECMs are expected to complement protected areas across landscapes and seascapes and enable the improved recognition and support for areas that are effectively and equitably managed as well as to achieve the long-term in situ conservation of biodiversity. OECMs are also referenced in Target 3 of the latest draft of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework . It is expected that many CBD Parties will consider OECMs in addition to protected areas to achieve this target, if it is agreed by CBD COP15 in Kunming, China, in 2022. This raises the need to advance the discussion about the legal and regulatory framework for OECMs to ensure that they deliver the outcomes required by CBD parties.

Aims and Objectives

This webinar aimed to generate knowledge sharing and discussion about the legal and policy basis and aspects of OECMs, addressed how laws and policies enable the recognition of OECMs, the associated challenges, and how they addressed to enable the long-term conservation of biodiversity within OECMs. The objectives included the introduction of the CBD guidance for OECMs, a number of country case studies and the facilitation of a discussion among participants to develop an understanding of the opportunities and challenges posed by OECMs, the diverse approaches that may be considered for developing the legal and policy frameworks to support their recognition and their role in delivering biodiversity outcomes in the long-term.

More about the event at: https://law.nus.edu.sg/apcel/events/oecm13dec21/