Human rights in conservation

From decades of conservation work across the globe, we know that people and nature are deeply interdependent. People not only have the right to a clean, healthy environment – they also rely on it for their livelihoods, their well-being, and even their sense of community and culture. We know that conservation is more successful and sustainable when it respects the universally declared human rights of those who live in the places where we work. Conversely, conservation that fails to uphold these rights is less effective, less enduring, and ultimately inconsistent with our values.

As an organization supporting conservation in nearly 100 countries, we pursue our mission on the core principle that positive outcomes for both people and nature depend on firmly anchoring and integrating human rights into conservation practice.

WWF’s commitment to human rights includes our due diligence processes and how we address concerns through our Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework (ESSF). It is also reflected in our Statements of Principles (SoPs) on human rights, gender equality, and Indigenous Peoples. Through our human rights-based approach to conservation, we seek to promote and support the full realization of the rights of local communities, Indigenous Peoples, women and girls, and other marginalized groups.