Data Sovereignty

Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Our Commitment

Not a compliance exercise — a foundational commitment embedded in how we design every project.

We take Indigenous data sovereignty seriously. Our approach is guided by OCAP® principles (Ownership, Control, Access, Possession) and CARE principles (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) — applied practically at every stage of the ISBM data journey, from field monitoring to credit verification.

OCAP® Principles

Who Owns, Controls, Accesses, and Holds the Data

O

Ownership

All biodiversity data, photographs, species observations, and derivative products are the exclusive intellectual property of the Nation. InSight Biodiversity and all third parties hold no ownership rights.

C

Control

Nations exercise complete authority over data collection design, sharing, retention, and deletion. Governance structures are co-designed with each partner Nation before any data collection begins.

A

Access

Tiered access rules determine who can access data and under what conditions. External access requires Nation approval and is governed by formal data-sharing agreements.

P

Possession

Raw data is processed locally on Nation-owned hardware using open-source tools. No mandatory cloud dependencies. Only verified subsets are shared externally, per contract and with Nation approval.

CARE Principles

Ethics That Go Beyond Data Protection

C

Collective Benefit

Data ecosystems are designed to serve Nation priorities — stewardship planning, land-use decisions, and long-term conservation strategy.

A

Authority to Control

Nations hold the authority to govern their own data. Governance structures, access rules, and benefit-sharing arrangements are Nation-defined.

R

Responsibility

We are accountable to the communities we work with. Data use must align with Nation conservation priorities and cultural values at all times.

E

Ethics

No data will be used in ways that harm Nation interests, undermine land rights, or expose sacred or culturally sensitive information.

"The Savimbo ISBM data journey prioritizes Indigenous Data Sovereignty by keeping raw data under Nation control, using open-source local processing, and limiting the extent of external sharing — aligning with Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles of self-determination in data governance."— InSight Biodiversity, Data Sovereignty Framework (2026)

Interested in learning more about how we approach data governance in biodiversity credit pilots?

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