Title: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Summary of Provisions:

The CBD aims to protect the planet's biodiversity, that is the "variety of life on earth, from the simplest bacterial gene to the vast complex rainforests of the Amazon." (http://www.cbd.int/chm/default.shtml). The Convention has three general goals of conservation of, sustainable use of, and equal benefits from biodiversity (http://www.cbd.int/convention/guide.shtml?id=web). The CBD provides guiding principles for the preservation of biodiversity and it requires that states carry out national biodiversity assessments and have conservation strategies. It has a 'clearing house' for exchange of information, which aims to give universal access to its database, country reports and scientific case studies (http://www.cbd.int/chm/default.shtml).

A Conference of Parties was established which deals with themed biodiversity programmes such as agricultural biodiversity and marine biodiversity and also with 'cross-cutting' issues that include biosafety, access to genetic resources and intellectual property rights. A separate Biosafety Protocol was agreed by the parties in 2000 which operates its own clearing house system. The CBD also encourages its members to increase public awareness, transfer technology, and aid capacity building in developing states.

Summary of Development:

The Convention on Biological Diversity was created at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (also known as Rio 92). Its implementation is led by the Conference of the Parties (COP) and its secretariat. The Clearing House is operated by an Informal Advisory Committee (http://www.cbd.int/chm/default.shtml). The Secretariat of the CBD attended the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and, in a statement, encouraged states to reaffirm and strengthen their commitment to preserving biodiversity. A declaration was made at the 2002 meeting of the COP that it is now time to move from "policy development to implementation", from "dialogue to action" (http://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/cop/cop-06/other/cop-06-min-decl-en.pdf). A Strategic Plan was also launched in 2002, following assessment of what the CBD had achieved in its first ten years. The expectation is that by 2010 implementation in priority areas will have begun. The Plan calls for sufficient resources to be made available to developing countries so that they can have built the capacity to begin implementation too. It also calls for an increase in technology transfer and scientific co-operation, again to aid capacity building. Nationally, by 2010, there should be strategies in place for increasing public awareness and participation and for involving key stakeholders. There should also be national legislation in place implementing the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol. (http://www.cbd.int/sp/default.shtml).

Current Status:

The Convention has191 state parties. The United States has not yet ratified the Convention (it signed in 1993). The Cartagena Biosafety Protocol entered into force in September 2003.

Convention on Biodiversity

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Related Summaries on the Genomics Gateway Site:

Cartagena Biosafety Protocol
UNEP Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources
Bonn Guidelines on Access to Plant Genetic Resources

Page last updated 26th March 2009.

Comments/enquiries to catherine.rhodes-2 'at' manchester.ac.uk