A statement on conserving primates and the integrity of nature

This statement draws on over 1,000 person-years’ work by the authors on the conservation of non-human primates and their habitats. It harnesses knowledge of what works for primates in the context of broader issues of global ecological integrity and increasing risk to all primate species, including our own. It indicates how conserving primates can protect and advance the interests of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, developing countries and humankind as a whole. It offers ideas and text for use by those engaged in relevant issues who are unfamiliar with the subject, with the aim of making conservation action easier to understand, to communicate and to do. It highlights four key elements of effective strategy: avoiding damage to native forest ecosystems, restoring native forest ecosystems, building conservation partnerships, and managing and using knowledge. Additionally, it advocates an approach in which all four elements are integrated, as a way to balance human rights and nature rights, to postpone and ultimately to prevent Earth system breakdown, and to promote mutual aid between people and nature.