Conservation Projects, Measures & Policies: Question 6

[ISCCLAdmin Brabec]

#5072

Please identify and share examples of measures taken to ensure respect, protection, promotion, and fulfilment of human rights in the context of the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s goals and targets, as well as Section C. These could be the implementation of human rights impact assessments or the establishment of participation and consultation mechanisms with local and concerned populations. Please specify what impacts these measures have had on the implementation of the GBF.

[Alda Azevedo Ferreira]

#5108

Measures in Brazil to Ensure Human Rights in the Implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
Context

The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) emphasizes, in its Section C, that implementation must be grounded in human rights, including the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs), gender equality, and intergenerational justice. In Brazil, several measures have been taken to align biodiversity policies with these principles, promoting inclusion, transparency, and community participation in national biodiversity governance.

1. National Consultation and the Updating of the Brazilian Biodiversity Strategy (EPANB/NBSAP)

In 2023–2024, Brazil conducted a broad participatory process to update its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (EPANB/NBSAP) in line with the GBF. The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA) organized regional, sectoral, and national consultations that gathered more than 140 Indigenous and local representatives (with participation expected to exceed 300).
An online consultation via the Participa+Brasil platform expanded access to civil society, while the National Biodiversity Commission (CONABIO) was restructured to include representatives from Indigenous, traditional, and quilombola communities, women’s organizations, and youth groups.
Impact: These processes broadened legitimacy and social ownership of the GBF in Brazil, improving alignment between national biodiversity targets and local priorities.

2. Institutional and Legal Measures for Inclusion and Rights Recognition

The creation of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (2023) and the National Secretariat for Traditional Peoples and Communities and Sustainable Development strengthened Indigenous representation in biodiversity and land governance.

Gender-focused leadership training workshops were held for Indigenous women leaders in 2023, enhancing their participation in biodiversity-related decision-making.

Municipal governments, such as Linhares (Espírito Santo), advanced rights-based innovations: Law No. 4,225/2024 recognized the “intrinsic rights of the waves at the mouth of the Doce River,” creating a participatory committee including surfers, fisherfolk, local residents, and public officials. This law institutionalized community co-management of a natural entity as a cultural and ecological heritage.
Impact: These measures expanded the concept of environmental governance, linking biodiversity protection to cultural identity, gender equity, and environmental justice.

3. Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and Human Rights Impact Assessments

Projects with potential socio-environmental impacts—such as conservation units, REDD+ initiatives, and carbon credit schemes—are now required to comply with FPIC standards under ILO Convention 169. Brazil’s National Human Rights Council has also recommended the adoption of Human Rights and Environmental Impact Assessments (HR-EIAs) for biodiversity projects, especially those affecting Indigenous territories and traditional communities.
Impact: These instruments have reduced the occurrence of social conflicts in conservation planning and improved compliance with international obligations under the CBD and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

4. Multi-Stakeholder Governance and Monitoring Mechanisms

The Biodiversity Committee of the Brazilian Association of State Environmental Agencies (ABEMA) and multi-stakeholder working groups established under CONABIO now monitor GBF implementation. The use of digital participatory platforms (such as Participa+Brasil) has made consultation processes transparent and accessible nationwide.
Impact: These governance innovations have strengthened accountability and integration between federal and state biodiversity policies, facilitating progress monitoring of GBF Targets 22 (participation and gender equality) and 23 (human rights-based approach).

Conclusion

Brazil’s approach to implementing the GBF demonstrates how biodiversity policy can serve as a platform for human rights realization. Through participatory consultation, institutional reforms, legal recognition of community rights, and integration of FPIC and HR-EIA mechanisms, Brazil has advanced toward a model of biodiversity governance that respects cultural diversity, strengthens local autonomy, and links conservation outcomes with social and environmental justice.

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