Oversight:
Protecting Human Rights in International Conservation

‍John Knox testified at a House of Representatives subcommittee hearing on human rights abuses in international conservation. Much of the bipartisan attention went to WWF's involvement in alleged abuses by park rangers in national parks in Africa and Asia. Look for Knox's testimony around the 46:36 mark where he provided testimony on human rights abuses in international conservation.

The following is an excerpt from Knox's testimony:

"This hearing on human rights and international conservation comes at a critical time. It is now well understood that the world is facing a global biodiversity crisis, which threatens one-quarter of all species with extinction. But it is far less well understood that the biodiversity crisis is also a human rights crisis. The best way to conserve the natural environment is to protect the human rights of those who live in nature: the Indigenous peoples and local communities who directly depend on forests and rivers for their material and spiritual well-being. But too often, their rights are being abused, not protected.

In my testimony today, I will first briefly describe the key role that Indigenous peoples and local communities play in the conservation of natural ecosystems. Second, I will review cases of human rights abuses in national parks in Africa and Asia. In this respect, I will focus on the report of the Independent Panel in which I participated. Third, I will suggest some steps that the United States should take to protect against such human rights abuses in the future. These steps would help to protect some of the most vulnerable human communities on Earth and lead to better conservation of endangered species and ecosystems."

The full Testimony of John Knox is available for download.