Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties

Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties
Name	Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties
Date signed	1992
Location signed	Rio de Janeiro
Parties	196
Depositor	United Nations Secretary-General

Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties is the governing body that brings together signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity to negotiate, adopt, and review measures on biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, and benefit-sharing. The Conference convenes ministers, negotiators, scientists, and representatives from United Nations Environment Programme, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and intergovernmental organizations to guide global policy. Sessions have produced key instruments and work programs that intersect with frameworks negotiated at United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Background and Purpose

The Conference was established under the Convention on Biological Diversity concluded at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro alongside instruments such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. Its purpose is to implement the Convention’s three objectives: conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and fair and equitable sharing of Nagoya Protocol benefits arising from genetic resources. The Conference works with bodies including the Global Environment Facility, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, World Conservation Union, and regional organizations such as the European Union and the African Union to align policy across treaties like the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing.

History and Meetings

The inaugural meeting followed the entry into force of the Convention in 1993 and early Conferences addressed implementation priorities set at the Earth Summit. Subsequent COPs have been held in locations including Jakarta, Buenos Aires, Montreal, Nagoya, Hyderabad, Cancún, Pyeongchang, Montréal, and Kunming, attracting delegations from United States Department of State, Ministry of Environment (Japan), Environment Canada, Ministry of Environment and Forests (India), and national agencies such as the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Philippines). Major milestones include adoption of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and negotiations leading to the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Meetings often include alongside events from Convention on Migratory Species, World Trade Organization, Convention on Biological Diversity Clearing-House Mechanism, and sessions by scientific bodies like the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Organizational Structure and Procedures

The Conference operates through plenary sessions, subsidiary body meetings, and contact groups, with procedural rules influenced by practices in the United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Economic and Social Council, and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Bureau officers, regional groups such as Group of 77, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Latin American and Caribbean Group, and chairs from Small Island Developing States guide agendas. Technical work is supported by expert panels drawn from institutions like Royal Society, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Max Planck Society, Smithsonian Institution, and bilateral agencies including United States Agency for International Development and Japan International Cooperation Agency. Financial mechanisms involve the Global Environment Facility, while reporting relies on national reports, party submissions, and inputs from entities such as World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization, and United Nations Development Programme.

Key Decisions and Outcomes

COP decisions have established protocols and targets that shaped conservation governance: the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety on genetically modified organisms, the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing, and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets under the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020. COP outcomes influenced major instruments and initiatives including the Global Biodiversity Outlook, the Capacity-building Initiative for Developing Countries, and the establishment of Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing-House. The Conference has advanced cross-cutting topics addressed by Convention on Wetlands, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, and Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services assessments.

Participation and Membership

Membership comprises states party to the Convention, including signatories from regions represented by groups such as African Union, European Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Caribbean Community, and Organization of American States. Observers include international organizations like the United Nations Environment Programme, World Health Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Union for Conservation of Nature, non-governmental organizations such as World Wide Fund for Nature, Conservation International, BirdLife International, The Nature Conservancy, and indigenous and local community networks including International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity and Global Alliance of Territorial Communities. National delegates often arrive from ministries such as Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (Canada), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China), Ministry of Environment and Energy (Costa Rica), and agencies like Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.

Criticisms and Challenges

Critiques raised by observers including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, World Resources Institute, and academic centers such as Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Yale School of the Environment highlight slow implementation, gaps between targets and national measures, and inequities in capacity and finance. Disputes among blocs like G77 and China and European Union over resource transfer, intellectual property regimes involving World Intellectual Property Organization, and access to GenBank-like repositories complicate negotiations. Challenges include coordination with treaties like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, disputes over digital sequence information debated at World Trade Organization fora, and enforcement issues when national policies from ministries such as Ministry of Agriculture (Brazil) or institutions like the European Commission conflict with COP decisions.

Impact and Implementation of COP Decisions

COP decisions have catalyzed national strategies, biodiversity action plans, and finance flows through mechanisms such as the Global Environment Facility and multilateral development banks like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Outcomes have supported implementation by organizations including Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Convention on Migratory Species, and research from Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, The Nature Conservancy, and International Union for Conservation of Nature. Progress is tracked in reports like the Global Biodiversity Outlook and through national reporting to the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, while capacity gaps persist in states assisted by United Nations Development Programme and bilateral partners such as Germany Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Category:International environmental conferences