Indigenous youth and international conservation law: Five case studies

Abstract

The principle of intergenerational equity plays a fundamental role in international conservation law. In this article, we analyse in how far the principle is applied with regard to indigenous youth. By scrutinizing the Whaling Convention, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species and the Convention on Biological Diversity, we analyse the extent to which key regimes in international conservation law have internalized the principle in relation to a stakeholder group that is not overly prominent. We conclude that there are fundamental differences between the regimes in question. Although the Ramsar Convention and the Biodiversity Convention have either included the principle from the outset or responded to a changing environmental discourse, the others show significant shortcomings in this regard. Therefore, it is important that institutions develop mechanisms to effectively address intergenerational equity, especially with regard to indigenous youth.