Advancing Legal and Policy Frameworks for Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs): Global Lessons for Policy and Practice

The world has four years left to achieve the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3, which calls for the conservation of at least 30% of planet Earth by 2030 (the 30×30 target). This global effort requires countries to acknowledge and support a wide range of governance systems that deliver sustained biodiversity outcomes within and beyond protected areas. In addition to Indigenous and traditional territories, other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) have emerged as a critical mechanism to identify and support diverse conservation practices led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, private landholders, sectoral bodies, and subnational authorities.

This report provides the first comprehensive, comparative assessment of the legal and policy mechanisms that countries are using to give effect to OECM identification and reporting. Drawing on detailed analysis of the 16 countries and territories that have reported OECMs, and others that are developing OECM frameworks, it identifies five categories of mechanisms through which national authorities operationalize OECMs. 

The report further examines emerging trends in OECM implementation, including the growing use of non-binding policy guidance, integration of community and cultural landscapes, and more. 

By synthesizing lessons from early implementers, the study offers practical insights for policymakers to enable the design of robust and context-appropriate OECM systems. It highlights how countries are adapting CBD guidance to domestic legal contexts, strengthening governance arrangements, and building transparent procedures for documentation, evaluation, and reporting. The findings aim to support governments, legislators, practitioners and partners as they expand equitable and effective area-based conservation and accelerate progress toward the global 30×30 target. 

Developed through a WWF–Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) collaboration, the study contributes to ongoing international efforts to strengthen legal and policy pathways for biodiversity conservation.