Recommendation 15
Peace, Conflict and Protected Areas

A just peace is a fundamental precondition for the conservation of biodiversity and other natural and associated cultural resources, and one to which all sectors of society should contribute. Protected areas benefit from peaceful conditions both within and between countries, and can contribute to peace when they are effectively managed. Protected areas can also contribute to fostering peaceful cooperation across borders, which led to the preparation of Transboundary Protected Areas for Peace and Co-operation in the WCPA Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines Series.

Many protected areas are however located in politically and socio-economically sensitive regions where the risk of conflict has been historically high, or within countries facing significant insecurity. Protected Areas can be both a focus and source of finance for conflict, and suffer from it. The outbreak of armed conflict can halt and reverse conservation and management efforts and destroy natural resources, lives and livelihoods. Poverty is linked to the cycle of conflict and poor governance.

It is therefore urgent that relevant actors understand, evaluate and address the challenges of establishing and managing protected areas in conflict-prone situations, drawing on international mechanisms such as the World Heritage in Danger listing to apply political pressure and mobilize financial support.

Therefore, PARTICIPANTS in the Stream on Building Broader Support for Protected Areas at the Vth World Parks Congress in Durban, South Africa (8-17 September 2003):

1. RECOMMEND that governments, non-government organizations, local communities and civil society:

a. RECOGNIZE that the establishment and management of a protected area can influence and be influenced by peace and conflict dynamics;

b. DEVELOP the capacity for international rapid response to provide training, mediation and support for field based protected areas staff in times of crisis including armed conflict;

c. ENSURE any humanitarian relief efforts minimize negative effects on protected areas;

d. REVIEW, DEVELOP AND ADAPT design and management tools, such as Social Impact Assessment, Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment (PCIA), ecological, and law enforcement monitoring (LEM), to systematically monitor and evaluate the impacts of peace and conflict dynamics on protected areas, and the impacts of protected areas on those dynamics, using the results to inform practice;

e. INVESTIGATE AND IMPLEMENT international and national instruments to strengthen protection of World Heritage Sites and other protected areas in times of armed conflict and post-conflict reconstruction (Draft Convention on the Prohibition of Hostile Military Activities in Protected Areas), and enhance accountability by all parties for their impacts on protected areas and people, including field based staff;

f. ENSURE that post-conflict social and economic development takes into account the importance of protected area integrity and conservation;

g. ENSURE that any parties supporting protected areas in the field in conflict situations are recognized as neutral in that capacity;

h. ENABLE a management presence to be maintained in protected areasin times of armed conflict through contingency planning and other means;

i. ENSURE that protected areas field staff are adequately trained, equipped and continually supported to maintain conservation effectiveness, morale and safety;

j. CALL on donors and other supporters to remain and provide continued funding and assistance to protected areas in situations of conflict;

k. PROMOTE continued involvement of local communities in conservation through their engagement in protected areas management, capacity building, education, incentives and benefit sharing, and provision of alternatives to exploitation of protected areas in times of crisis;

l. SUPPORT prompt coordinated action to rehabilitate affected protected areas after conflict has ended;

m. INCORPORATE protected area conservation in military and peacekeeping training programmes and operations;

n. URGE countries in situations of real or potential conflict with other countries to explore protected areas cooperation as a basis for peace building;

o. ESTABLISH a fund to assist families of protected areas staff killed or injured in the line of duty;

p. ADDRESS root causes of violent conflict by promoting respect for human rights, improved governance, the elimination of corruption, poverty alleviation (see WPC recommendation 5.29) and certification of sustainably produced commodities (e.g. Forest Stewardship Council); and

q. INCORPORATE these recommendations into existing IUCN and World Heritage guidelines and best practice, including the Draft Code for Transboundary Protected Areas in Times of Peace and Armed Conflict.

2. RECOMMEND, with a view to mobilizing action by key parties, that IUCN's Commission on Environmental Law, its Commission on Environmental Economic and Social Policy, World Commission on Protected Areas and other appropriate parties establish a Task Force to:

a. IDENTIFY AND REPORT ON the forms of international instruments available to enable the capacity for international response (as per clause 1.b.) to provide a neutral status to protected areas personnel and to enhance accountability for impacts on protected areas and people including field based staff in situations of armed conflict;

b. COMPILE guidelines and good practice examples of protected areas management in times of armed conflict and in post-conflict reconstruction; and

c. MONITOR and report on implementation of this recommendation at regular intervals

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