The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a legally binding multilateral treaty establishing international cooperation for the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources. Opened for signature in 1992 and in force since 1993, it connects environmental protection with sustainable development, national responsibilities, scientific cooperation, and access to biological resources. Its three objectives encompass both the protection of living systems and the ways societies use and benefit from them. (cbd.int)
Origins and participation
Negotiations developed through the United Nations Environment Programme, which convened an expert working group in November 1988. The agreed treaty text was adopted in Nairobi on May 22, 1992. It opened for signature on June 5, 1992, at the Rio Earth Summit, formally the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, and entered into force on December 29, 1993, following the thirtieth ratification. The first Conference of the Parties met in the Bahamas in 1994. (cbd.int)
The United Nations Treaty Collection records 196 parties, including the European Union. The United States signed the convention on June 4, 1993, but has not ratified it and therefore is not a party. Signature and participation as a contracting party are distinct legal statuses. (treaties.un.org)
Scope and principles
The convention defines biodiversity as variation within species, between species, and among ecosystems. Its scope consequently includes genetic diversity as well as terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic life. Sustainable use means utilizing biodiversity at a rate and in a manner that avoid its long-term decline, preserving its capacity to meet present and future needs. Genetic resources are genetic material possessing actual or potential value. (cbd.int)
The treaty combines state sovereignty over natural resources with responsibilities under international law. Article 3 recognizes states’ rights to exploit their resources according to their environmental policies, while requiring them to prevent activities under their jurisdiction or control from damaging other states’ environments or areas beyond national jurisdiction. Article 15 places authority over access to genetic resources with national governments, subject to national legislation. (cbd.int)
National implementation
Article 6 requires parties, according to their circumstances and capabilities, to develop or adapt national biodiversity strategies and action plans. These are the principal national implementation instruments. Parties must also integrate conservation and sustainable use into relevant sectoral and cross-sectoral policies, rather than treating biodiversity solely as a matter for environmental agencies. (cbd.int)
Article 8 addresses in-situ conservation: conserving living systems in their natural surroundings. It provides for protected areas, protection of natural habitats, maintenance of viable populations, and restoration of degraded ecosystems. It also calls for measures to prevent the introduction of, control, or eradicate alien species that threaten ecosystems, habitats, or species. These duties frequently carry qualifications such as “as far as possible and as appropriate.” (cbd.int)
Article 8(j), subject to national legislation, addresses traditional knowledge, innovations, and practices of Indigenous and local communities relevant to biodiversity. It requires respect, preservation, and maintenance of this knowledge, promotes wider application with holders’ approval and involvement, and encourages equitable sharing of resulting benefits. (cbd.int)
Institutions and finance
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the convention’s governing body. It reviews implementation and adopts decisions guiding the treaty’s work. A subsidiary scientific, technical, and technological advisory body, established by Article 25, provides advice on implementation. The secretariat, based in Montreal, organizes meetings, prepares reports, assists governments, and coordinates with international organizations. (cbd.int)
Article 20 requires parties to support national biodiversity activities according to their capabilities. Developed-country parties must provide new and additional resources to meet developing-country parties’ agreed incremental implementation costs. Article 21 establishes a financial mechanism under COP authority and guidance; the Global Environment Facility has served as its operating institutional structure. (cbd.int)
Supplementary protocols
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, adopted on January 29, 2000, entered into force on September 11, 2003. It addresses transboundary movements of living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology, seeking to protect biodiversity from potential adverse effects. Its advance informed agreement procedure supplies information for decisions on certain imports, while its Biosafety Clearing-House facilitates information exchange. (bch.cbd.int)
The Nagoya Protocol, adopted on October 29, 2010, entered into force on October 12, 2014. It develops the convention’s access and benefit-sharing objective through rules concerning access, benefit-sharing, and compliance. Benefits may be monetary, such as royalties, or non-monetary, including research cooperation, training, and technology transfer. Membership in the convention does not automatically constitute membership in either protocol. (cbd.int)
Global targets and review
The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 included twenty Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Global Biodiversity Outlook 5, published in 2020, found that none had been fully achieved globally, although six were partially achieved. (cbd.int)
In December 2022, COP15 adopted the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, comprising four goals for 2050 and twenty-three targets for 2030. These include effective conservation of at least 30 percent of terrestrial and inland-water areas and marine and coastal areas, restoration measures covering at least 30 percent of degraded ecosystems, and mobilization of at least US$200 billion annually for biodiversity by 2030. The framework was adopted through a COP decision, not as a replacement treaty. (cbd.int)
The resumed COP16 session concluded in Rome on February 27, 2025, with agreements on finance, planning, monitoring, reporting, review, and indicators. The Cali Fund, launched during that session, supports benefit-sharing from commercial use of digital sequence information on genetic resources, with half its resources allocated to the self-identified needs of Indigenous peoples and local communities. (cbd.int)