CAFF and PAME are leading an initiatice to provide an overview of the current range and understanding of international and national criteria used for identification of OECMs in the Arctic. This will also facilitate an exchange of information among the Arctic Council members on the range of information and application of OECMs. Other effective area-based conservation measures’ (OECMs) is a conservation designation for areas that are achieving the effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity outside of protected areas.

The role of Indigenous sustainable management practices, including IPCAs, and other Indigenous stewardship measures, and their contribution to effective marine stewardship will be explored in the Arctic context through this project, and could be expanded upon in future work by the Arctic Council.

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Key Objectives:

• Provide a general description of how OECMs have been or are being applied in the Arctic, and an overview of the criteria used internationally to define OECMs.
• Provide an overview of Indigenous peoples sustainable management practices and related material through review of literature that has been developed by Indigenous organizations and Peoples.
• Ensure consistent and updated references on OECMs within the updated PAME/CAFF Status and Trends in Arctic Conservation Measures report.
• Facilitate a dialogue about how Arctic Council members are interpreting and applying the CBD’s OECM definition in the Arctic, as applicable.
• Explore opportunities for OECMs to contribute to effective conservation of biodiversity and associated values in Arctic-specific contexts, including as part of a pan-Arctic network of marine protected areas.
• Contribute a reference report on OECMs to the PAME MPA networks Toolbox

Activities to be undertaken

• Gather existing sources on OECM criteria and Arctic Council member approaches to identifying OECMs.
• Develop relevant case studies.
• Provide relevant updated international information and references to OECMs to the PAME/CAFF Status and Trends in Arctic Conservation Measures report
• Invite PAME/CAFF members, with a focus on the PPs, to provide information on current sources of information, status and application of Indigenous sustainable management practices and/or IPCAs, including Arctic examples of IPCAs, and their current and future recognition within Arctic States.
• Convene a webinar or in person meeting(if possible), of PP representatives, Indigenous management practitioners and knowledge holders to explore and discuss potential case studies and expanded understanding of Indigenous sustainable management practices and IPCAs in the Arctic context. The outcomes of that discussion could inform both the overview report and an IMPAC 5 workshop.
• Convene a workshop or session at the 5th International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC5) in Vancouver in 2022, in partnership with the CBD Secretariat, to bring together Arctic marine conservation practitioners and managers to share information on OECMs and Indigenous sustainable management practices/IPCAs in the Arctic.
• Develop a report, based on the information gathered, including an overview of OECM criteria, Indigenous sustainable management practices and/or IPCAs, their application in the Arctic context, and Arctic relevant case studies.