11/10/2025
11:00 - 12:30
Virtual Channel 2
, Online only
Session with interpretation
Why attend
Environmental defenders worldwide face increasing threats and risks as they protect nature and the human right to a environment. This interactive Fishbowl session offers insights from frontline defenders, fosters dialogue between defenders, practitioners, and policymakers, and explores strategies to strengthen support networks and advocacy efforts to safeguard people and ecosystems.
Session Description
Environmental and ocean defenders play a critical role in protecting biodiversity and securing the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities who depend on nature. However, they face increasing threats to their human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and around the world they are experiencing marginalization, criminalization, violence, and lethal attacks. While environmental defenders are gaining visibility, they remain at risk in many places.This interactive Fishbowl session will bring together environmental defenders, practitioners, and policymakers to explore shared challenges, identify opportunities for collaboration, and discuss solutions to strengthen protections and supports. Aligning with IUCN Resolution 115, which calls for greater recognition and protection of environmental defenders, the session will highlight the urgent need for action to support defenders across ecosystems.
Through firsthand testimonies and facilitated dialogue, participants will gain a deeper understanding of defenders’ struggles and explore pathways for strengthening support at national and international levels.