Global Strategy for Plant Conservation

Global Strategy for Plant Conservation
Name	Global Strategy for Plant Conservation
Established	2002
Administered by	Convention on Biological Diversity
Scope	International
Goals	Conservation of plant diversity

Contents

Global Strategy for Plant Conservation The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation was adopted in 2002 as an international framework to halt the loss of plant diversity, aligning with the Convention on Biological Diversity and informing policy across multilateral institutions including the United Nations Environment Programme, the IUCN, the FAO, and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It guided national commitments by states such as United States, China, Brazil, South Africa, and Australia, and by organizations such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The Strategy influenced programmatic links with the Ramsar Convention, the CITES, the Global Environment Facility, and regional initiatives including the European Union biodiversity directives and the Africa Union conservation policies.

Overview

The Strategy presents an action-oriented plan developed under the auspices of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and promoted by leading institutions including the IUCN, the BGCI, the WWF, and the International Plant Protection Convention. It set out a suite of targets intended to complement international instruments such as the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Nagoya Protocol, and the Rio Earth Summit outcomes, engaging stakeholders like the European Commission, the UNDP, and national agencies including the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation. The Strategy catalyzed collaboration among botanical institutions such as the New York Botanical Garden, the Australian National Herbarium, and the South African National Biodiversity Institute.

The Strategy articulated specific objectives and time-bound targets that guided actors including the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank, and the CSIRO as well as nongovernmental groups like Conservation International and the Nature Conservancy. Targets encompassed in situ measures linked to protected areas such as IUCN Protected Area Categories and networks like the Natura 2000 sites, ex situ priorities involving seed banks like the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and botanical collections at institutions including Kew Gardens and the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, taxonomy supported by herbaria such as the Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the National Herbarium of New South Wales, and capacity-building involving universities such as University of Oxford, Peking University, and University of Cape Town.

Implementation relied on multilevel governance linking the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity with national focal points, ministries like the Ministry of Environment (Brazil), international donors including the Global Environment Facility and the World Bank, and specialist networks such as the BGCI and the IOBC. Governance arrangements incorporated reporting mechanisms through the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and drew upon technical guidance from scientific institutions like the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Smithsonian Institution, the Natural History Museum, London, and the French National Museum of Natural History. Partnerships were established with philanthropic organizations including the Bloomberg Philanthropies model and foundations such as the Wellcome Trust and the Ford Foundation.

Priority actions promoted by the Strategy included habitat protection via alignment with UNESCO World Heritage Sites, restoration initiatives linked to projects by the UNDP and Gabon National Parks, the establishment of ex situ collections in facilities like the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and the Millennium Seed Bank, and invasive species management coordinated with CITES and regional agreements such as the AEWA where relevant. The Strategy supported research agendas at institutions including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Australian National Herbarium, and the Smithsonian Institution and promoted capacity-building collaborations with universities such as Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of Tokyo.

Monitoring and reporting utilized frameworks coordinated by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and data inputs from networks including the GBIF, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and the Botanic Gardens Conservation International databases. National reports submitted to the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity by parties such as India, Mexico, Kenya, and Spain documented progress on targets, informing multilateral reviews at forums like the United Nations General Assembly and contributing to assessments by the IPBES. Outcomes included expansion of ex situ collections at institutions such as the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership and the establishment of new protected areas within networks like Natura 2000 and national parks exemplified by Kruger National Park and Yellowstone National Park.

Critics from academic institutions such as University of Cambridge and policy think tanks including the International Institute for Environment and Development have highlighted challenges including inadequate funding from donors like the Global Environment Facility and implementation gaps at national levels such as in Madagascar and Papua New Guinea. Concerns were raised by organizations including WWF and Greenpeace about weak integration with climate frameworks like the Paris Agreement and limited attention to indigenous stewardship by groups such as the Ainu people and the Maori; legal scholars cited difficulties harmonizing the Strategy with instruments like the Nagoya Protocol and national laws including the Endangered Species Act and the European Union Habitats Directive. Scientific critiques from researchers affiliated with institutions such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Smithsonian Institution emphasized taxonomy shortfalls and data gaps in repositories like the GBIF that constrain target measurement.

Category:Conservation