Chapter 1 - The Convention of Biodiversity, the Global Biodiversity Framework and key international bodies
The CBD was signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
The Convention recognises that biodiversity is about more than plants, animals and micro-organisms and their ecosystems - it is also about people and our need for food security, medicine, fresh air and water, shelter and a clean and healthy environment inwhich to live.
The Convention on Biodiversity has three main goals:
The conservation of biodiversity
The sustainable use of the components of biodiversity
Sharing the benfits arising from the commercial and other utilisation of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way
Read also about the Cartagena and Nagoya protocols on Biosafety and the Access and Sharing of biodiversity assets
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The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international agreement which aims to ensure the safe handling, transport, and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health. It entered into force on 11 September 2003.
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The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international agreement which aims at sharing the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way. It entered into force on 12 October 2014.