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Chapter 3
Implementing the convention on biological diversity
The Convention’s broad scope makes translating its provisions into policy and practice extremely challenging. In the first ten years following entry into force of the Convention, the Conference of the Parties responded to this challenge by developing a comprehensive body of guidance relating to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources. Through the seven meetings of the Conference of the Parties, 182 decisions have been adopted to guide member states in fulfilling their obligations under the Convention. Among these are key decisions that outline the major areas of work of the Convention, establish principles and guidelines for action, and set out a plan for the more effective and coherent implementation of the Convention as a whole. In the latter case, recognizing the need to evaluate the effectiveness and state of implementation of the Convention, in 2002, the Conference of the Parties adopted a Strategic Plan, including the 2010 target, and, in 2004, a framework for assessing progress towards the 2010 target. In this chapter, we briefly survey these tools and, using the Strategic Plan as our guide, assess progress made in implementation of the Convention.
Source & ©: CBD 
Chapter 3: Implementing the convention on biological diversity, p.45
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The Convention’s Toolkit: The Ecosystem Approach, Programmes of Work and Guidelines for Action
The processes linking ecosystems and species, including humans, are complex; an action taken in one place may have unforeseen consequences elsewhere, often far away and many years later. It is for this reason that the Conference of the Parties adopted the Ecosystem Approach as the overarching strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources (see Box 3.1). Parties can apply the approach at the national level in order to balance the three objectives of the Convention.
The Conference of the Parties has been guided by the Ecosystem Approach in the design of each of the seven thematic programmes of work of the Convention. Corresponding to most of the major biomes on the planet, each programme of work establishes a vision for future work; identifies potential activities and outputs; and suggests a timetable and means for achieving these outputs (see Box 3.2 on page 48). In addition, the Conference of the Parties has adopted cross-cutting programmes of work on technology transfer, taxonomy and protected areas.
The programme of work on protected areas promises to be a key element for achieving the Convention’s objectives. The aims of the programme are to establish a comprehensive, effectively managed and ecologically representative network of terrestrial protected areas by 2010, and of marine protected areas by 2012. The programme outlines direct actions for developing and managing these networks, as well as for supporting activities to promote an enabling policy, institutional and socio-economic environment.
The programmes of work of the Convention are complemented by a suite of principles and guidelines developed on cross-cutting issues considered to be of relevance to all thematic areas, including biodiversity monitoring, impact assessment, incentive measures, and invasive alien species (Box 3.3, on page 50). These principles and guidelines are designed to provide practical assistance to Parties in implementing the programmes of work.
The Conference of the Parties has also adopted a Global Strategy for Plant Conservation which encompasses 16 outcome-oriented targets aimed at achieving a series of measurable results by 2010. The Strategy provides a framework for concerted action by all stakeholders towards these targets.
The thematic programmes of work and the other tools referred to above have been developed through the work of the Convention’s Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technological and Technical Advice (SBSTTA), based on the best available scientific advice provided by various expert groups. A number of Working Groups have also been created to assist in implementation. A Working Group has been established to review implementation of the programme of work on protected areas and another to review progress in the implementation of the Convention as a whole. In addition, specific Working Groups have been established on traditional knowledge, innovations and practices, and access and benefit-sharing. Negotiations to elaborate an international regime on access and benefit sharing have been initiated under the latter.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, developed under the Convention and adopted as a legal instrument in its own right in 2000, aims to ensure that modern biotechnology does not adversely affect biodiversity taking into account also risks to human health. The Protocol entered into force in September 2004. Since then, Parties to the Protocol have met two times to articulate decisions on matters such as risk assessment, liability and redress, capacity-building, information sharing, and labelling.
At the national level, provisions of the Convention and the decisions of the Conference of the Parties are translated into actions through national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs). As Parties hold primary responsibility for the implementation of the Convention, NBSAPs are central to achieving the objectives of the Convention. As described below in considering progress made under Goal 3 of the Strategic Plan, many Parties have developed NBSAPs, and a few have updated these to reflect changed conditions since first adopted.
Box 3.1 The Ecosystem Approach
Box 3.2 Programmes of work of the Convention
Source & ©: CBD
Chapter 3: Implementing the convention on biological diversity, Section 3.1, p.46-49
The source document for this Digest states:
Achieving the Goals of the Strategic Plan: Progress to Date
Recognizing the need for enhanced implementation of the Convention, the Conference of the Parties adopted a Strategic Plan in 2002 to guide implementation of the Convention. The purpose of the Plan is to halt the loss of biodiversity so as to secure continued benefits. The Strategic Plan is based on the affirmation that biodiversity remains the living foundation for sustainable development; that the threats to biodiversity must be addressed; that the Convention is an essential instrument for the realization of sustainable development; and that the challenges to implementation can and must be overcome.
Following from this, the mission of the Strategic Plan is for Parties to commit themselves to a more effective and coherent implementation of the three objectives of the Convention, to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on Earth. In the context of this mission, the Plan encompasses four goals, each with four or five objectives.
Box 3.3 Principles, guidelines and other tools developed under the Convention
Box 3.4 The biodiversity-related conventions
In the following paragraphs we assess progress towards the four goals and 18 objectives of the Strategic Plan, building upon the assessment recently conducted by the Working Group on Review of Implementation of the Convention. This assessment is summarized graphically in Table 3.1 (page 55).
Source & ©: CBD
Chapter 3: Implementing the convention on biological diversity, Section 3.2, p.49-51
The source document for this Digest states:
GOAL 1 The Convention is fulfilling its leadership role in international biodiversity issues.
Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan is to promote international cooperation in support of the Convention. Reasonable progress is being made towards this end (Table 3.1). The Convention is playing a major role in setting the agenda among biodiversity-related conventions (Box 3.4) and organizations, in part due to the clear importance and widespread appeal of the 2010 target. The target has been endorsed by the World Summit on Sustainable Development and adopted or acknowledged by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and by a number of non-governmental organizations. In addition, the framework for monitoring progress towards the 2010 target has been adapted for use by the European region. Many in the scientific community have taken up the challenge of further developing the framework, and a number of initiatives are underway in support of regional and national application of the framework.
By inviting other international instruments and processes to integrate biodiversity considerations into their work, the Conference of the Parties has made progress in promoting policy coherence at the global level. The International Plant Protection Convention, for example, has developed phytosanitary standards that cover some of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s concerns on invasive alien species. Similarly, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture has been developed in harmony with the Convention. Policy coherence is also promoted through joint work programmes, as evidenced by the adoption of common guidance on impact assessment by the Convention and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Closer collaboration among the Convention on Biological Diversity and the four other biodiversity-related conventions promises further opportunities for increased policy coherence.
Other international processes are increasingly engaged in putting the Convention’s policies into practice. The Global Partnership for Plant Conservation, the UNEP Regional Seas Programmes, the River Basin Initiative, the Global Invasive Species Programme and other initiatives have pledged to provide or mobilize support for the implementation of the various programmes of work. However, much more remains to be done, particularly in order to strengthen the support for implementation provided to Parties by international and regional organizations. Without such technical assistance, positive outcomes for biodiversity are unlikely to be achieved. Significant progress is also needed in order to integrate biodiversity concerns outside the environment sector into the work of international organizations and processes concerned with trade, development, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. Such cross-sectoral cooperation is one aspect of mainstreaming biodiversity, a challenge discussed in more depth in Chapter 4.
Source & ©: CBD
Chapter 3: Implementing the convention on biological diversity, Section 3.2, p.51-52
The source document for this Digest states:
GOAL 2 Parties have improved financial, human, scientific, technical, and technological capacity to implement the Convention.
Implementation of the Convention at the national level requires that Parties have access to sufficient financial, human, scientific, technical, and technological resources. Without such resources, the Convention’s objectives are unlikely to be met. Unfortunately, despite important efforts, progress towards this goal remains limited.
While most financial resources for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use are derived from domestic sources, both in developed countries and most developing countries, external resources are oft en important in catalysing activities that are directly related to implementing the Convention. For example, most national biodiversity planning and implementation activities have been initiated and associated with certain external financial resources, in particular those from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the main financial mechanism of the Convention. Further implementation of the Convention and scaling-up of implementation activities will continue to be dependent, to some extent, upon the availability of international financial resources.
However, total aid financing earmarked for the Convention’s objectives appears to be on the decline, or at best, stagnant. Since 1997, the GEF has provided an average of US$ 150 million per year to support the implementation of the Convention. While the scope of the Convention’s work programmes has expanded, the GEF average annual allocation to biodiversity has changed only marginally. In terms of bilateral aid financing, figures extrapolated from the survey conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (see page 40) indicate financing in support of the Convention’s objectives is on the order of US$ 1 billion per year, but show a declining trend.
Securing additional financial resources for biodiversity will likely require adopting new strategies. Development aid to developing countries is increasingly provided through general budgetary support, and less oft en designated for specific uses. In order for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use activities to receive funding, Governments will need to incorporate biodiversity concerns into relevant national development planning processes, such as Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) (see Chapter 4 for further discussion). Convincing policy-makers and planners to do so, in turn, requires greater awareness of the role of biodiversity in ensuring sustainable development and supporting poverty reduction. Developing a better appreciation of the value of biodiversity and of the ecosystem services that biodiversity underpins would also encourage the release of domestic resources in support of the Convention’s objectives, reducing dependence on foreign aid. In some cases, the creation of markets for biodiversity-related ecosystem services might also generate significant domestic resources to be put towards conservation and sustainable use activities.
Overcoming a lack of human and technological resources is similarly challenging. Many Parties, particularly developing countries and those with Economies in transition, lack both the trained staff and technological and institutional infrastructure to fully implement the programmes of work of the Convention. Coordinated action and flexible use of the instruments of the Convention, particularly the programme of work on technology transfer and the Clearing-house Mechanism, could help rectify this.
Source & ©: CBD
Chapter 3: Implementing the convention on biological diversity, Section 3.2, p.51-52
The source document for this Digest states:
GOAL 3 National biodiversity strategies and action plans and the integration of biodiversity concerns into relevant sectors serve as an effective framework for the implementation of the objectives of the Convention.
Progress towards Goal 3, which concerns the national level planning and implementation necessary for achieving the objectives of the Convention, is critical. Although Parties are involved in the processes of the Convention (for example, by attending meetings, establishing national focal points, and submitting reports), implementation is far from sufficient.
By the end of 2005, almost three-quarters of the Parties (131 of 188) had completed their national biodiversity strategies and action plans or equivalent instruments (see Figure 3.1). Several other Parties had prepared draft s or had national biodiversity strategies and action plans awaiting government approval. As well, one out of three Parties that responded to this issue in their third national report described putting in place comprehensive biodiversity strategies and action plans and integrating the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity into major sectoral plans, programmes and policies. Yet the extent to which these policy instruments are implemented and effectively serve to integrate biodiversity concerns across sectors remains difficult to gauge. To elicit better information from Parties on this topic, and as recommended by the Working Group on the Review of Implementation of the Convention, national report guidelines are being substantially revised.
Available information from other processes suggests that integration is in fact limited. Analyses by the World Bank of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) of the country reports on progress towards the Millennium Development Goals show that biodiversity issues are poorly reflected in these documents, if at all. While some Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers document declining biodiversity, the links between biodiversity and human well-being are not elaborated and very few reports contain policies for integrating biodiversity into poverty reduction policies. Of 100 country reports analysed, UNDP found that only 17 included targets for forest cover or protected areas, under MDG 7 (“To ensure environmental sustainability”). A number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa referred to the implications of the loss of biodiversity for livelihoods, but generally, there was little reference made to biodiversity with respect to Millennium Development Goals other than MDG 7.
To realize significant progress under Goal 3, each Party should establish appropriate national targets within the flexible framework set up by the Conference of the Parties and then focus national efforts on achieving them. Greater efforts must also be made to mainstream biodiversity concerns into national policies, strategies and programmes for sustainable development and poverty reduction. This includes sectoral integration of biodiversity concerns, with a focus on sectors such as land-use planning, agriculture, forestry and fisheries. There are already a number of tools available under the Convention to facilitate cross-sectoral integration and the mainstreaming of biodiversity into decision-making, including the Ecosystem Approach and the application of strategic environmental assessments. These issues are taken up in Chapter 4.
Source & ©: CBD
Chapter 3: Implementing the convention on biological diversity, Section 3.2, p.53
The source document for this Digest states:
GOAL 4 There is a better understanding of the importance of biodiversity and of the Convention, and this has led to broader engagement across society in implementation.
Progress towards this goal is mixed. Current communication, education and public awareness programmes by Parties are not sufficient to address the widespread lack of awareness and understanding of biodiversity and the importance of the Convention. Yet political will to address the biodiversity crisis will only result from an increased public understanding of biodiversity and its relation to human well-being. Such knowledge needs to be included in basic educational programmes and promoted through the general media.
Indigenous and local community representatives as well as many civil-society organizations are well engaged with the Convention processes, attending meetings and contributing expertise. The involvement of indigenous and local communities at the national level is oft en limited, however, and varies greatly from country to country, suggesting the need to develop appropriate participatory mechanisms.
Efforts to engage key actors and stakeholders to integrate biodiversity concerns into other sectors outside the environment are advancing, and more tools and instruments to aid this process are in development, but much more progress is required. Many positive examples of engagement with non-governmental organizations exist, and these could be promoted further through the development of a global partnership on biodiversity and similar initiatives. Until recently, there has been very little engagement of the private sector in the work of the Convention at any level, despite the significant impacts of their activities on biodiversity. Through the “Business and Biodiversity 2010 Challenge” initiative, however, there is a growing recognition of the “business case” for biodiversity (see Box 3.5), leading to increasing and concrete opportunities to promote private sector engagement.
Box 3.5 The business case for biodiversity
Source & ©: CBD
Chapter 3: Implementing the convention on biological diversity, Section 3.2, p.53-54
The source document for this Digest states:
In looking across the four goals of the Strategic Plan, it becomes apparent that, while there is advancement in some areas, more actions are urgently needed at the national level. It is at the national level that implementation of the Convention must be focused, and tangible outcomes for biodiversity can be achieved. Action under one area in particular appears essential: the mainstreaming of biodiversity outside of the environment domain as strictly understood, and into all relevant sectoral policies and plans (Goals 3 and 1 of the Strategic Plan). Mainstreaming not only promises to reduce direct impacts on biodiversity, as economic sectors modify their activities, but will also raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity (Goal 4). A better understanding of biodiversity’s value can translate into increased political will to implement change, and to mobilize the additional resources (Goal 2) needed for real progress. The potential for mainstreaming biodiversity into key sectors is explored in the next chapter, as part of an overall assessment of the prospects and challenges for achieving the 2010 target.
Source & ©: CBD
Chapter 3: Implementing the convention on biological diversity, Section 3.2, p.51-54
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