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Form of workWorld Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, seeks a Advancing Conservation beyond Protected Areas Graduate or Undergraduate Intern.
WWF Overview
For 60 years, WWF has worked to help people and nature thrive. As one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, WWF works in more than 100 countries, connecting cutting-edge conservation science with the collective power of our partners in the field – more than one million supporters in the United States and five million globally, as well as partnerships with communities, companies, and governments.
Our vision for diversity, equity and inclusion at WWF is an organization as diverse as the world we protect; where the richness of all our unique views, experiences, and backgrounds combines to create the most sustainable and inclusive conservation outcomes possible — bringing the greatest benefit to the planet and every person who lives on it.
Across the many cultures and individuals that represent WWF, we are unified by one mission, one brand, and one common set of values: Courage, Respect, Integrity and Collaboration.
Context for the Internship
Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), agreed in 2022, sets a global target of at least 30% conservation coverage of terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas by 2030. This target is to be achieved through the establishment or identification of Protected Areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), while recognizing Indigenous and traditional territories (CBD, 2022). A protected area is a site that is dedicated and managed for the conservation of biodiversity. An OECM is a “geographically defined area other than a Protected Area, which is governed and managed in ways that achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in situ conservation of biodiversity” (CBD, 2018). The key distinction between a protected area and an OECM, therefore, is that a protected area should be dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity, while an OECM should deliver the long-term conservation of biodiversity regardless of management objective.
In October 2024, in Cali, Colombia, Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will meet to assess progress on the GBF. Ahead of that meeting, we plan to host an event on OECMs and Indigenous and traditional territories. The successful candidate will support the organization of that meeting, in a range of capacities.
Position Summary
The Conservation Areas Initiative (CAI) team will be supporting WWF advance the Target 3 agenda towards COP-16 of the CBD. To inform debate about OECMs, a partnership of organizations will conduct a rapid review of complex issues around the topic to be discussed at a pre-COP meeting. The Intern will support the CAI team in research and analysis of conservation beyond Protected Areas and supporting the organization and logistics of an OECM 2024 event with existing and prospective partners.
