ANALYSIS OF THE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL PRINCIPLES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION

Biodiversity includes all living species and ecosystems. It is important for maintaining a healthy environment and providing resources like food, water, and medicine. These resources are linked to human rights to life, health, and cultural identity. The degradation of biodiversity threatens these rights, prompting the development of international legal frameworks aimed at conserving biodiversity. While these frameworks have incorporated key legal principles, their effective application remains limited. Despite establishing a foundation for connecting human rights and biodiversity conservation, the lack of clear, consistent and enforceable legal principles at the national level has led to conflicts between conservation efforts and human rights protections. This gap limits states ability to adequately reconcile environmental sustainability with their human rights obligations. Through using a doctrinal methodology, this study examines the legal landscape, emphasizing the importance of the principles of necessity, precaution and proportionality within international frameworks that guide states in balancing competing rights and public interests. The findings highlight significant challenges, including weak enforcement, economic pressures, and policy inconsistencies, which limit effective implementation. To address these issues, the paper recommends that states codify the principles of necessity, precaution, and proportionality into national laws providing clear guidelines for environmental impact assessments, project approval processes and conflict resolution mechanisms, thereby strengthening the legal foundation for integrating biodiversity conservation with human rights protections.