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As Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) work to implement the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) have emerged as a critical mechanism for recognising and supporting long-term biodiversity conservation outcomes beyond protected areas. In particular, GBF Target 3 (30×30) calls for the effective and equitable conservation of at least 30 per cent of land and sea areas by 2030, explicitly recognising the role of OECMs alongside protected areas.
This study, Advancing Legal and Policy Frameworks for Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs): Global Lessons for Policy and Practice, provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of the legal and policy pathways through which countries are identifying, recognising, and reporting OECMs internationally. It examines how diverse governance systems are translating CBD guidance—especially Decision 14/8—into operational legal, policy, and administrative frameworks.
Drawing on a review of jurisdictions that have reported OECMs internationally, as well as additional countries developing national frameworks, the study identifies five principal legal and policy pathways used to operationalise OECMs:
The study finds that there is no single model for OECM implementation. Instead, countries are adopting context-specific approaches that reflect existing legal traditions, governance arrangements, and conservation practices. While this diversity supports flexibility and innovation, it also raises challenges related to legal certainty, governance integrity, monitoring, durability, and alignment with CBD criteria.
The study contributes practical lessons and recommendations to support governments, policymakers, practitioners, and partners in strengthening OECM frameworks that are legally robust, inclusive, and capable of delivering long-term biodiversity outcomes.
OECMs play a central role in complementing protected areas and expanding recognition of effective conservation across diverse governance contexts, including Indigenous territories, community-managed areas, fisheries, cultural landscapes, and other sector-based regimes.
As countries move rapidly to report OECMs internationally, there is an urgent need to understand how legal and policy frameworks can support credible, durable, and equitable implementation. This study responds to that need by analysing how OECMs are being operationalised in practice and by identifying pathways that align flexibility with legal integrity.
What the Study Covers
This study provides a global comparative assessment of:
Some jurisdictions have adopted binding ministerial or departmental instruments that establish formal procedures for recognising and reporting OECMs under existing environmental mandates. This pathway offers legal clarity and clearly defined institutional responsibilities.
Several countries rely on national guidance documents and policy tools to operationalise OECMs. These approaches support consistent application across decentralised governance systems while allowing flexibility in implementation.
In some cases, OECMs are identified and reported through administrative procedures using existing statutory powers, without the adoption of new legislation. This pathway can enable relatively rapid implementation where institutional capacity already exists.
A number of jurisdictions recognise OECMs by applying CBD criteria to long-standing sectoral regimes, including fisheries management areas, forests, and cultural or locally managed landscapes.
The study documents landmark developments in the recognition of OECMs beyond national borders, including through conservation measures adopted under Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs).
The study includes detailed case studies illustrating how OECM frameworks are being developed and implemented in practice across different legal systems and governance contexts. These case studies provide concrete examples of how diverse pathways are operationalised and adapted to national circumstances.
The findings support governments, legislators, practitioners, and partners in designing OECM frameworks that are legally robust, implementable, and aligned with CBD guidance.
The study informs ongoing work under the Biodiversity Law and Governance Initiative (BLGI), including outcomes from Biodiversity Law and Governance Day 2024 and preparations toward BLGD 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia, alongside the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17).
Access the full study here.