Convention on Biological Diversity facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Convention on Biological Diversity

Type	Multilateral environmental agreement
Context	Environmentalism, Biodiversity conservation
Drafted	22 May 1992 (1992-05-22)
Signed	5 June 1992 – 4 June 1993
Location	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil New York, United States
Effective	29 December 1993 (1993-12-29)
Condition	Ratification by 30 States
Parties	196 States All UN Member States except the United States  Cook Islands  European Union  Niue  State of Palestine
Depositary	Secretary-General of the United Nations
Languages	Arabic Chinese English French Russian Spanish

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), also known as the Biodiversity Convention, is an important international agreement. It's like a big promise made by many countries to protect life on Earth.

The Convention has three main goals:

• To protect biodiversity (all the different kinds of life on Earth).
• To use nature's parts in a way that doesn't harm them for the future.
• To share the benefits from using genetic resources (like DNA from plants or animals) fairly.

This agreement helps countries create plans to protect and use nature wisely. It's seen as a key document for sustainable development, which means meeting our needs today without stopping future generations from meeting theirs.

The Convention was first opened for countries to sign at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 5, 1992. It officially started on December 29, 1993. Almost every country in the world has agreed to follow it, except for the United States.

The CBD also has two special agreements that add to its rules:

• The Cartagena Protocol helps control how living modified organisms (like genetically changed crops) are moved between countries. It started in 2003.
• The Nagoya Protocol makes sure that when countries use genetic resources, the benefits are shared fairly. This protocol started in 2014.

The year 2010 was called the International Year of Biodiversity. The CBD helped lead many events that year. After that, the UN declared 2011 to 2020 as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity. During this time, the CBD created a plan called the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, which included goals known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

The countries that are part of the Convention meet regularly at events called Conferences of the Parties (COP). These meetings help them check on progress and decide what to do next. The first meeting (COP 1) was in 1994, and the most recent one (COP 15) was in 2021/2022.

The CBD also works on protecting life in the oceans and along coasts. It helps find special marine areas that are important for nature. The goal is to create international rules to protect marine life in areas beyond national borders.

How the Convention Started

The idea for an international agreement on biodiversity began in 1988. Experts from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) started discussing it. In 1989, a group of experts was formed to write the legal text. They wanted to make sure the agreement covered protecting nature, using it wisely, and sharing benefits with countries and local communities.

In 1991, a special committee was set up to finish writing the Convention. The final text was agreed upon in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1992. It was then opened for signing at the Rio "Earth Summit" on June 5, 1992. By June 4, 1993, 168 countries had signed it. It officially became law on December 29, 1993.

This Convention was the first international law to say that protecting biodiversity is "a common concern of humankind." This means it's important for everyone on Earth. The agreement covers all ecosystems (like forests or oceans), all species (like animals and plants), and all genetic resources.

It connects traditional ways of protecting nature with the economic goal of using natural resources in a way that can last. It also sets rules for sharing the benefits from using genetic resources, especially for business. The Convention is legally binding. This means countries that join it must follow its rules.

The Convention reminds leaders that natural resources are not endless. It promotes the idea of sustainable use. While in the past, efforts focused on protecting single species or habitats, the Convention understands that ecosystems, species, and genes must be used for human benefit. But this must be done in a way that doesn't cause a long-term decline in biodiversity.

The Convention also uses the precautionary principle. This means if there's a risk of losing a lot of biodiversity, we shouldn't wait for complete scientific proof to take action. The Convention also recognizes that protecting biodiversity needs a lot of money. But it argues that this protection will bring many environmental, economic, and social benefits.

In 2010, the Convention on Biological Diversity banned some types of climate engineering (ways to change the climate).

Who Leads the Convention?

The person in charge of the CBD Secretariat is called the Executive Secretary.

• As of December 2019, the acting executive secretary is Elizabeth Maruma Mrema.
• Past executive secretaries include Cristiana Pașca Palmer (2017–2019), Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias (2012–2017), and others.

Key Topics the Convention Deals With

The Convention helps countries work on many important issues, such as:

• Finding ways to encourage protecting and using biodiversity sustainably.
• Controlling access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge. This includes getting permission from the country or community that provides them.
• Sharing the results of research and benefits from using genetic resources fairly with the countries or communities that provided them.
• Helping countries get access to new technologies, including biotechnology.
• Working together on science and technology.
• Creating a global list of experts in identifying species (Global Taxonomy Initiative).
• Checking the impact of human activities on nature.
• Educating people and raising public awareness about biodiversity.
• Providing money to help countries protect biodiversity.
• Asking countries to report on their efforts to follow the treaty.

Groups That Help the Convention

The Convention has several important groups that help it work:

Conference of the Parties (COP)

The COP is the main decision-making body of the Convention. It's made up of all the governments and regional organizations that have joined the treaty. The COP checks on progress, finds new priorities, and sets plans for its members. It can also change the Convention, create expert groups, and work with other international organizations.

CBD Secretariat

The CBD Secretariat is based in Montreal, Canada. It works under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Its main jobs are to organize meetings, write documents, help member governments, work with other international groups, and share information.

Subsidiary Body for Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA)

The SBSTTA is a group of experts from member governments. They give scientific and technical advice to the COP. They check the state of biodiversity and how well the Convention's rules are being followed. They also make recommendations to the COP.

Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI)

The SBI was created in 2014. Its main jobs are to:

• Check how well the Convention is being put into action.
• Suggest ways to improve how it's put into action.
• Help countries get the resources they need to implement the Convention.
• Oversee how the Convention and its protocols operate.

Countries Involved (Parties)

     Countries that are part of the Convention      Countries that signed, but haven't officially joined      Countries that haven't signed

As of 2016, 196 "Parties" (countries and the European Union) are part of the Convention. All countries that are members of the United Nations have joined, except for the United States. Some non-UN member states like the Cook Islands and Niue have also joined.

The US signed the treaty, but its Senate has not officially approved it. This is because some senators have blocked its approval.

The European Union created the Cartagena Protocol to improve rules about biosafety (safety with living modified organisms). They wanted to use the "precautionary principle," which means taking action even without full scientific certainty if there's a risk. This was different from the "sound science principle" favored by the United States.

National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP)

These plans are the main way countries put the Convention into action at home. The Convention asks countries to create a national plan for biodiversity. They also need to make sure this plan is part of all activities that might affect nature. By early 2012, 173 countries had created their NBSAPs.

For example, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Tanzania have detailed plans to protect specific species and habitats. Even though the United States hasn't officially joined, it has strong programs for species conservation. Singapore also has a detailed National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

National Reports

Countries that are part of the Convention also write reports about how they are putting the Convention into action.

Special Agreements and Plans from the CBD

Cartagena Protocol (2000)

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, also called the Biosafety Protocol, was adopted in January 2000. It aims to protect biodiversity from possible risks caused by living modified organisms (LMOs) created using modern biotechnology.

This Protocol makes it clear that new technologies must follow the precautionary principle. It also allows developing countries to balance public health with economic benefits. For example, it lets countries ban imports of a genetically modified organism if they don't think there's enough scientific proof that it's safe. It also requires exporters to label shipments that contain genetically modified products like corn or cotton.

The Protocol officially started on September 11, 2003.

Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (2002)

In April 2002, the countries of the CBD agreed to a plan to slow down the rate at which plants are disappearing around the world. This plan had 16 points and aimed to make a difference by 2010.

Nagoya Protocol (2010)

The Nagoya Protocol was adopted on October 29, 2010, in Nagoya, Japan. It officially started on October 12, 2014. This agreement is a special part of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It creates clear rules for sharing the benefits that come from using genetic resources fairly. This helps protect and use biodiversity in a way that can last.

Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020

Also at the meeting in Nagoya in October 2010, a new "Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, 2011-2020" was agreed upon. This plan included the "Aichi Biodiversity Targets." These were 20 goals that aimed to achieve five main strategic goals:

• Goal A: Deal with the main reasons why biodiversity is being lost.
• Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and encourage sustainable use.
• Goal C: Improve the state of biodiversity by protecting ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity.
• Goal D: Increase the benefits everyone gets from biodiversity and nature's services.
• Goal E: Improve how the plan is put into action through teamwork and sharing knowledge.

This plan also showed how protecting biodiversity helps achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are global goals for a better future.

Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

A new plan, called the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), was created to guide actions until 2030. A first draft was released in July 2021. The final version was agreed upon on December 19, 2022. This plan has big goals, including a promise to protect at least 30 percent of the world's land and sea. This is known as the "30 by 30" initiative.

Marine and Coastal Biodiversity

The CBD also focuses a lot on marine and coastal biodiversity. Experts have held workshops to find and describe important marine areas. The goal is to create an international legal agreement under UNCLOS to protect and use marine biodiversity wisely in areas beyond national control. This involves planning and making decisions based on specific ocean areas.

Things People Criticize About the Convention

Some people have criticized the CBD. They say that its rules haven't been fully put into action because some Western countries have resisted parts of it. Some also feel that the treaty, which is legally binding, should be enforced more strictly.

Even though the Convention says it covers all forms of life, reports show that in practice, this isn't always happening. For example, the European Union's report often talks about animals and plants, but doesn't mention bacteria, fungi, or protists at all. A group called the International Society for Fungal Conservation found that most CBD documents don't cover fungi well.

Scientists working on biodiversity and medical research are worried that the Nagoya Protocol might actually make it harder to prevent diseases and protect nature. They fear that the threat of punishment for scientists could stop important research. Non-commercial researchers and museums are concerned that it will be difficult to share biological samples. Medical researchers are also worried about plans to make it illegal to publicly share genetic information, like on databases such as GenBank.

A researcher named William Yancey Brown suggested that the Convention should also include saving complete genetic information and living cells for every known species.

Meetings of the Parties (COP)

The Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings were held every year for the first three years after 1994, and then every two years.

1994 COP 1

The first meeting was in November and December 1994, in Nassau, Bahamas.

1995 COP 2

The second meeting was in November 1995, in Jakarta, Indonesia.

1996 COP 3

The third meeting was in November 1996, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

1998 COP 4

The fourth meeting was in May 1998, in Bratislava, Slovakia.

1999 EX-COP 1 (Cartagena)

The first special meeting took place in February 1999, in Cartagena, Colombia. This meeting led to the adoption of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in January 2000.

2000 COP 5

The fifth meeting was in May 2000, in Nairobi, Kenya.

2002 COP 6

The sixth meeting was in April 2002, in The Hague, Netherlands.

2004 COP 7

The seventh meeting was in February 2004, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

2006 COP 8

The eighth meeting was in March 2006, in Curitiba, Brazil.

2008 COP 9

The ninth meeting was in May 2008, in Bonn, Germany.

2010 COP 10 (Nagoya)

The tenth meeting was in October 2010, in Nagoya, Japan. This is where the Nagoya Protocol was officially approved.

2010 was the International Year of Biodiversity. Following this meeting, the UN declared 2011 to 2020 as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity.

2012 COP 11

The eleventh meeting was held in Hyderabad, India, in 2012.

2014 COP 12

Thousands of people from governments, non-profit groups, scientists, and businesses met in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in October 2014 for the 12th meeting (COP 12).

From October 6–17, 2014, countries discussed how to put the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets into action. The meeting resulted in 35 decisions, including one to include gender perspectives in biodiversity analysis.

At the end of the meeting, they adopted the "Pyeongchang Road Map." This plan outlines ways to achieve biodiversity goals through technology, funding, and helping developing countries.

2016 COP 13

COP13 Mexico meeting

The thirteenth meeting took place from December 2 to 17, 2016, in Cancún, Mexico.

2018 COP 14

The 14th meeting was from November 17–29, 2018, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The conference ended with a wide agreement to stop the global destruction of nature and biodiversity loss. Countries agreed to work faster to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020.

2021/2022 COP 15

COP15 Canada meeting

The 15th meeting was supposed to be in Kunming, China in 2020, but it was delayed many times because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was split into two parts. An online event happened in October 2021, where over 100 nations signed the Kunming declaration on biodiversity. The declaration's theme was "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth."

Twenty-one draft goals were agreed upon in the October meeting. These were discussed further in the second part of COP 15, which took place in Montreal, Canada, from December 5–17, 2022. At this meeting, the countries adopted a new action plan called the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

2024 COP 16

The 16th meeting is planned to be held in Turkey in 2024.

See also