Enabling Pathways for Rights-based Community-led Conservation

Published in September 2025, this report provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of the legal and policy frameworks that either enable or impede rights-based, community-led conservation in ten countries: Guyana, Liberia, Kenya, Madagascar, Panama, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines, Indonesia, Chile, and Mexico. Drawing on a rigorous methodology combining document analysis and field case studies, the report maps the diverse pathways through which community conservation has achieved formal recognition in each country.

The analysis focuses on six key dimensions: legal reforms in conservation and community rights, pathways for recognition of community-led conservation, community rights within established protected areas and OECMs, the right to consultation and Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC), women's rights, and the integration of rights-based conservation in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). A key finding is that countries that have combined recognition of land tenure rights with participatory governance mechanisms have achieved the most durable and effective community conservation outcomes.

The Indonesia case study highlights both significant progress — including the Constitutional Court Decision No. 35, the recognition of customary forests, and the AKKM framework — and persistent gaps in implementation, particularly around FPIC, women's participation, and integration into the national NBSAP/IBSAP. The report's conclusions provide actionable recommendations for governments, civil society organisations, and international bodies seeking to build enabling environments for community-led conservation as a core element of achieving the 30×30 global biodiversity target.