Award winning conservationists from 22 countries with a cumulative experience of 45 decades, working across 5 continents and oceans, have announced the creation of the new Partners Conservation Alliance with its mission to improve how biodiversity conservation is practiced worldwide.
It is widely recognized that historically, conservation efforts have led to extreme injustices and marginalization of local and indigenous communities across the world. The onslaught on biodiversity continues, exacerbated by the adverse impacts of climate change. Ahead of the upcoming 15th Conference of Parties of the Convention for Biological Diversity in Montreal, the alliance issued a statement on December 2, 2022 in Kashka Suu village of the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the statement, initiatives built upon respectful, ethical and resilient partnerships with local and indigenous communities are among the most effective approaches, not just to address biodiversity loss, but also for sustainable economic development. Such community-led biodiversity conservation programs can address anywhere between 10 to 13 of the 17 sustainable development goals set by the United Nations.
During the 5-day workshop leading to the Statement, a core group of the Partners Conservation Alliance committed itself to creating and offering training toolkits and resources for conservation practitioners around the world to strengthen ownership and conservation leadership among local and indigenous communities.