Transboundary protected areas (TBPAs) are important for biodiversity conservation. They can also provide a focus for facilitating cooperation and peace-building because the efficient management of transboundary protected areas involves dialogue, cooperation, and transparency. This requires building participatory and multi-stakeholder management processes, including civil society and scientists, and taking into account changing factors and cultural circumstances.

The latest global inventory of transboundary protected areas and other sites linked by various transboundary conservation initiatives has been implemented by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) in 2007. Click here.

Particularly, transboundary conservation (conservation across borders) has sometimes been designed to promote cooperation and peace and this effort can be a powerful force for peace. There is a great deal of knowledge and experience which could be further shared internationally. Work to establish and strengthen regional networks, transboundary protected areas and collaboration between neighbouring protected areas across national boundaries is a goal of the CBD Decision VII/28, the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (POWPA).