By 2030, Dominica aims to institutionalise inclusive biodiversity governance, ensuring effective participation by Indigenous Peoples, including the Kalinago people, local communities, women, youth and civil society. Implementation will promote access to information, participation and justice, alongside respect for rights over lands, territories and resources. The target builds on Dominica’s established practice of engaging the Kalinago people in national endeavours, including through Kalinago governance institutions and the Ministry responsible for Kalinago Affairs. It aims to strengthen consistent, accessible and accountable participation throughout biodiversity planning, implementation and monitoring, recognising community knowledge, cultural values and priorities.

Dominica aims to strengthen biodiversity coordination and participation through clear institutional mandates, inclusive representation and adequately resourced procedures. Existing national, local and Kalinago governance arrangements will provide a basis for sustained engagement. Participation standards will support early notice, accessible information, adequate review time and culturally appropriate consultation. They will address gender, age, disability and language-related barriers, and provide clear records of how contributions inform decisions. Implementation will support Kalinago-led community protocols, appropriate free, prior and informed consent procedures, traditional knowledge protection and participation through customary governance structures. These measures will be developed with the Kalinago people and reflect their rights and priorities. Environmental information procedures, proactive disclosure and accessible review, grievance and justice pathways will support the access principles reflected in the target. Measures will also support the safe participation of environmental human rights defenders, including reporting channels and protection against intimidation or retaliation. Monitoring will assess representation, participation quality, responsiveness to community input and access to information and remedies.

Access to financial resources: Implementation requires sustained funding for accessible consultations, community-led processes, information services, participation support and monitoring.

Collective effort towards the targets: The target promotes shared responsibility and meaningful participation across public institutions, civil society, businesses and communities.

Consistency with international agreements or instruments: Implementation supports the Convention on Biological Diversity’s participation objectives and the environmental access principles reflected in the Escazú Agreement.

Contribution and rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities: Measures will build on established Kalinago participation, recognise customary governance and rights over lands, territories, resources and knowledge, and support community-led processes.

Cooperation and synergies: The target connects biodiversity coordination with environmental assessment, information access, community management, traditional knowledge protection and equitable benefit sharing.

Different value systems: Governance will recognise scientific and traditional knowledge, cultural and spiritual values, livelihoods and diverse community perspectives.

Formal and informal education: Accessible guidance and awareness activities will help people understand biodiversity decisions, participation opportunities and available procedures.

Fulfilment of the three objectives of the Convention and its Protocols, and their balanced implementation:Inclusive governance will support conservation, sustainable use and fair and equitable benefit sharing through informed and accountable decisions.

Gender: Implementation will promote effective participation by women and girls, address barriers to influence and representation, and assess whether participation produces equitable outcomes.

Human rights-based approach: Measures will support information access, meaningful participation, justice and safe engagement, recognising community rights and the role of environmental human rights defenders.

Intergenerational equity: Participation by children and youth will help biodiversity decisions reflect the interests of present and future generations.

National circumstances, priorities and capabilities: Implementation reflects Dominica’s community relationships, Kalinago governance institutions, disaster vulnerability and available institutional resources.

Principles of the Rio Declaration: Access to information, public participation, access to justice and environmental accountability will guide implementation.

Whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach: The target promotes coordination across government and inclusive engagement throughout planning, implementation and monitoring, building on existing national and community arrangements.

National Target 22 addresses central elements of GBF Target 22 through effective participation, access to information and justice, and recognition of rights over lands, territories and resources. It explicitly includes the Kalinago people, local communities, women, youth and civil society. The target builds on established Kalinago engagement in national affairs and aims to strengthen the consistency and effectiveness of inclusive biodiversity governance. Further development of implementation arrangements can make explicit the participation of persons with disabilities, protection of environmental human rights defenders, traditional knowledge safeguards and gender-responsive procedures. These elements are not all stated expressly in the target title; this does not imply their exclusion or an absence of existing practice. Clear procedures and monitoring will help demonstrate how participation informs decisions and how access rights are exercised.

No formal non-State actor commitments are recorded towards this national target. Opportunities for voluntary contributions and partnerships can be further developed during implementation.

Additional financing, technical assistance and institutional capacity are needed to strengthen participation procedures, accessible information and effective review and grievance arrangements. Priorities include practical guidance, training in inclusive facilitation, and methods for monitoring participation quality and institutional responsiveness. Dedicated support will enable Kalinago-led processes and broader community participation, including accessible venues, appropriate communication, travel assistance and opportunities for women, youth and persons with disabilities. Relevant legal and procedural assistance will support access to environmental justice. Implementation will build on existing arrangements while addressing resource constraints, communication and accessibility barriers, and the need for consistent follow-up on public contributions.