The significant and increasing loss of biodiversity and natural heritage areas has created widespread global concern, and is generating a new commitment to conserve and protect threatened species and spaces. The roles and responsibilities of Ontario Parks respond to the international call to increase the protection of natural heritage areas and biodiversity around the world.

Over the past decade, a succession of world charters have called for accelerated protection efforts. As part of this growing movement, Canada and 159 other countries signed the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity at the Earth Summit in Brazil in 1992. Among other things, they pledged to establish more protected areas, and to find new ways of managing these areas while promoting environmentally sound and sustainable development of natural resources.

Ontario's provincial parks system makes a significant contribution to Canada's commitment. Ontario Parks will continue to make a contribution to providing leadership for its partners, and for other agencies and organizations within Ontario, in the establishment of new protected areas.

IUCN Protected Areas Management Categories