Protected areas can be found in a wide variety of environments, ranging from mountains to the sea, deserts, forests and freshwater lakes, and even traverse borders. They differ in almost every respect, including the purposes for which they are managed, their size, the types of sites and resources they protect, and their management. In recent decades, the number of protected areas has increased rapidly. Although, there has been good progress in expanding the coverage of terrestrial protected areas 14.9%, the further areas are needed for a full representation of areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services (UNEP-WCMC, IUCN and NGS, 2018). In general, this rapid and recent growth in protected areas has not been accompanied by commensurate expansion in management capacity. The designation of protected status both on land and water has often failed to resolve (and in some cases has heightened) conflicts over access, use or control of the areas concerned. Economic recession and hardship have thrown such issues into sharper focus in recent years. Protected areas will not survive unless they enjoy broad public support, which is dependent on people’s fundamental needs being met. Land use and resource management conflicts, inequities or impacts do not cease to exist simply because an area is granted protected status. When established by nation states or related entities, protected area boundaries often reflect considerations of sovereignty, governance and tenure as much as the environment types they seek to protect. For all these reasons, the planning and management of protected areas must be coordinated with the use and management of other areas rather than treated in isolation. The long-term success of protected areas must be framed by the search for more sustainable patterns of development in general. The present Guidelines are intended to support the establishment process for protected areas.