Convention on Biological Diversity

Convention on Biological Diversity
Name	Convention on Biological Diversity
Type	Multilateral environmental agreement
Signed	5 June 1992
Location signed	Rio de Janeiro
Effective	29 December 1993
Parties	196 (as of 2026)
Depositor	Secretary-General of the United Nations
Languages	English language, French language, Spanish language

Convention on Biological Diversity The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a multilateral environmental agreement adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It entered into force in 1993 and has near-universal participation among United Nations members, including United States (signed but not ratified), European Union, China, India, and Brazil. The treaty established global frameworks for conservation, sustainable use, and fair sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources, influencing instruments like the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol.

Background and Negotiation

Negotiations for the CBD were driven by concerns raised at events such as the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, the Brundtland Commission report "Our Common Future", and scientific findings from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Delegations from states including United States, Japan, Germany, France, and Brazil participated alongside nongovernmental organizations such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund. The treaty text emerged from the deliberations at the 1992 Earth Summit and was opened for signature at the same summit attended by heads of state like George H. W. Bush, Fernando Collor de Mello, and François Mitterrand.

Objectives and Principles

The CBD sets three primary objectives: conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources. These objectives align with principles articulated by instruments such as the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and engage stakeholders including Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and World Health Organization. The treaty invokes concepts related to sovereign rights of states over natural resources as reflected in decisions by bodies like the International Court of Justice and resonates with indigenous rights movements represented by organizations such as the World Council of Indigenous Peoples.

Institutional Structure and Governance

The CBD established institutional mechanisms including the Conference of the Parties (COP), a Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), and a Secretariat hosted in Montreal. The COP meets periodically with participation from parties such as Canada, Australia, South Africa, and observers like European Parliament delegations and NGOs including Conservation International. Protocols negotiated under the CBD, notably the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing, are adopted through COP decisions and managed via subsidiary bodies and implementation committees comprising state representatives and experts from institutions like the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Key Provisions and Obligations

Core obligations include developing national strategies for biodiversity, integrating biodiversity considerations into sectoral policies, establishing protected areas, and regulating access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge. Parties must report periodically through national reports submitted to the COP, guided by reporting modalities developed with input from entities such as the United Nations Environment Programme and Global Environment Facility. The treaty’s relationship with other instruments—e.g., World Trade Organization agreements and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora—is managed through COP decisions and liaison processes with organizations such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Implementation and National Measures

Implementation occurs through national biodiversity strategies and action plans, legislation, and programs by ministries such as those in India, South Africa, Mexico, and Norway. Measures include creating protected areas linked to networks like the Man and the Biosphere Programme and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands sites, integrating biodiversity into national planning as in Costa Rica’s conservation policies, and recognizing traditional knowledge as seen in initiatives by indigenous groups in Australia and Peru. Parties report implementation progress at COPs and through mechanisms coordinated with institutions such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Financing, Compliance, and Capacity Building

Financing mechanisms include support from the Global Environment Facility as a financial mechanism, supplemented by funding partners like the United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, and bilateral donors including Japan International Cooperation Agency and Norad. Capacity-building programs target technical assistance from institutions such as Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, training networks affiliated with IUCN Academy of Environmental Law, and regional initiatives coordinated by entities like the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. Compliance relies on peer review, reporting obligations, and voluntary mechanisms rather than punitive enforcement, with compliance committees convened under COP decisions to assist parties including small island states like Maldives.

Impact, Criticisms, and Future Challenges

The CBD has catalyzed conservation actions, creation of protected areas, and development of access and benefit-sharing frameworks exemplified by national laws in Brazil, South Africa, and Japan. Criticisms include perceived gaps in implementation, inadequate funding raised in debates at COPs, tensions between the treaty and World Trade Organization rules, and disputes over intellectual property rights involving actors such as World Intellectual Property Organization and biotechnology firms in United States and Germany. Future challenges highlighted by actors like Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services include integrating biodiversity goals with climate action, ensuring indigenous participation as advocated by United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and achieving the post-2020 global biodiversity framework targets discussed at recent COPs.

Category:Multilateral environmental agreements