The following principles have been identified as over-arching considerations to guide the elaboration of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Palestine:

  1. Integrity of Palestinian Land and Marine Resources and Their Biotic Wealth
    • Palestine's special situation of lack of control over all its land and marine resources makes it necessary to adopt the over-riding principle of insuring the integrity of land and marine resources. This principle must be reflected in all strategic actions for the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources.
  2. Intrinsic Value of All Forms of Life
    • Palestine is endowed with rich biotic resources, many of which are now threatened and some are extinct. The future development of the country must reflect the intrinsic value of its landscapes, ecosystems, habitats, populations, species and gene
    • It is the duty of every Palestinian individual and organisation to care for the biodiversity heritage and use it sustainably and equitably
    • Sustainability for Palestinian biodiversity involves: (a) respecting the ecological integrity of natural systems and their carrying capacity, (b) minimising the possible negative impact of developmental projects and activities in Palestine. (c) Taking remediation measures against the negative impacts of Israeli activities including settlements on Palestinian lands (d) avoiding risks to the biological integrity of biodiversity, and (e) investing in Palestinian human and material resources in the rehabilitation and conservation of natural resources.
    • Equity in the use of Palestinian biodiversity means that the benefits of the sustainable use of biodiversity shall be shared equitably and fairly among all Palestinian people, through: (a) redressing the rights of access of Palestinian communities and individuals that have suffered from the alienation of land and other biodiversity related resources, (b) linking the improvement of the living conditions of local disadvantaged groups and communities to the sustainable use and development of biodiversity, (c) insuring that the cost of assessing the risks and impacts of development interventions are borne by those who propose to do them (e.g., the "Polluter Pays" principle), and not by local communities and disadvantaged or potentially adversely-affected groups.
  3. Collaborative Management of Biotic Natural Resources
    • All affected communities and groups will participate in decisions on policies and actions that affect their rights and entitlements to biotic resources.
    • Careful institutional arrangements will be arrived at among all primary and secondary stakeholders with respect to the management of biotic resources, protected areas, and their sustainable use.
    • The traditional knowledge of the Palestinian people must be supported, protected and utilised as a rich heritage on which to base the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in such areas as rangelands, farming and fishing zones, and natural areas.
  4. Responsible Public Management
    • Public planning and decision-making on biological and natural resource management in Palestine shall be based on informed decisions with adequate information on the full analysis of the impacts, costs and benefits of such actions on economic, social and environmental aspects of resource management.
    • Where adequate information is not available to properly assess the risks emanating from resource management activities, the Precautionary Principle (as defined in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, see Annex III) shall be applied, where such action will be postponed for however long it takes to correctly assess the impact.
    • Government decision making and implementation of resource management issues must be based on openness, accountability and transparency to the public and the other stakeholders. Administrative processes must be simplified and as non-bureaucratic as possible, to encourage participation in all levels of competence and avoid undue concentration of decision making at higher levels.
    • Given that natural resource issues transcend administrative and disciplinary boundaries, it is necessary to ensure a co-ordinated inter-sectoral approach, with cooperation among all involved parties, whether governmental or in the civil society.
  5. Learning by Doing
    • As the proposals and actions set in the BSAPP require an on-going process of "learning-by-doing," adequate monitoring and re-assessment procedures must be built into every action implemented. This will ensure that there are vivid and constructive analysis-and-action cycles mutually feeding and enriching each other.