“The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)”, signed in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, during the United Nations Congress on Natural Environment and Development (UNCED), aims to preserve biodiversity and the lasting use of its elements. It regulates the principles behind a correct distribution of the benefits resulting from the use of genetic resources (mainly those destined for trade), and it is also governs the biotechnology sector, in frank expansion, controlling the development and exchange of information, distribution of benefits and biosafety.

The convention (EN ; FR ; ES ), which obliges legislation, has become the principal document for international environmental policies on biodiversity. It encompasses all biodiversity aspects (genetic resources, species and ecosystems), and its goals are:

- to assure biodiversity conservation, in situ (Art. 8) as well as ex situ (Art. 9).

- to guarantee the durable utilization of the elements constitutive of the biological diversity; to guarantee the correct and fair distribution of the advantages derived from the exploitation of genetic resources at a global level.

To achieve these objectives, the Convention, signed by 188 states, favours a new collaboration between the signing Parties. Each state is obliged, according to its own conditions and resources (Art. 6 et 7.) to:

- elaborate strategies, plans or national programmes to guarantee the conservation and lasting use of its biodiversity. To achieve this objective, previously existing strategies, plans and programmes have to be adapted.

- include, if it is possible and convenient, the conservation and lasting use of its biodiversity in their plans, programmes, and appropriate sectorial or intersectorial policies.

- identify the constitutive elements of the biological diversity for conservation and for a lasting use, in coherence with the list of categories cited in annex 1.

- watch out, through sampling or other techniques, for the constitutive elements of the identified biodiversity, paying particular attention to these elements that need urgent conservation measures and to those which offer greater possibilities of an enduring use.

- identify processes or activity categories which run the risk of exerting an unfavorable influence on conservation and the lasting use of biological diversity, and monitor the effects by means of sampling or other techniques; conserve and administer the data obtained from this identification and vigilance, in coherence with the other points.


Each contracting party is required, as far as is possible, economic and socially rational measures that induce conservation and lasting use of the elements that make us its biological diversity (Art. 11).

Moreover, the convention foresees from the contracting states (Art. 12):

- the preparation and development of the scientific and technical education programmes necessary for the identification, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and its constituent elements, and for undergirding education and training, with particular attention being paid to developing countries;

- the promotion of research that contributes to the conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity, especially in developing countries;

- the advance of scientific research on biodiversity, for the implementation of conservation methods and a sustainable exploitation of biodiversity.


Arbitration and reconciliations are settled by Annex II :Part 1 and Part 2).

The Convention on Biological Diversity is the first global agreement that recognizes the risk that is required concerning the evolution of the degradation of natural habitats and the extinction of animal and plant species. The Convention reminds the states that the natural resources are not unlimited and provides a new philosophy for the 21st century, that of sustainable use, underlining the role of the local communities and of the autochthonous populations as regards conservation of the biodiversity. In 2002, at the world summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg, the heads of state took on an agreement to reduce the loss of biodiversity from now to 2010. The Convention on Biological Diversity has been considered the main instrument on this subject. (© 2005 Martino Coppola di Canzano e Nicola Valdevit).

As regards the welfare of the plant kingdom, the contribution of the Convention on Biological Diversity is very important. Among the different decisions taken on this subject, that adopted in 2002 in La Hague (Holland) by the sixth Party Conference at the CBD: The Global Plant Conservation Strategy – GPCS (decision VI/9 :The Global Plant Conservation Strategy - GSPC ).

The GPCS is a long term project aimed at halting the loss of plant diversity; among the sixteen foreseen goals (see appendix), those to be accomplished by 2010 are:

- to understand and identify plant diversity;
- to conserve plant diversity;
- to ensure a sustainable use of plant resources;
- to promote education and to sensitize public opinion to plant diversity;
- to create capacities for plant diversity conservation.

These important objectives foresee the in-situ and ex-situ conservation of 60% of the threatened plant species in the world and the inclusion of 10% of these species in the programmes of recovery and restoration.

Finally plants, universally recognized as an essential planet resource, are in the centre of the stage. Photo (from left to right) : Ramonda myconi (© 2005 Mònica Casanovas - IJBB); Riverside thermo-mediterranean galleries (Nerio-Tamaricetea et Securinegion tinctoriae)(© 2005 G. Bacchetta - CCB); Armeria sulcitana (© 2005 G. Bacchetta - CCB).

" En 2002, au sommet mondial sur le développement durable de Johannesburg, les Chefs d'Etat ont trouvé un accord pour réduire la perte de biodiversité d'ici à 2010. La Convention sur la Diversité Biologique à été considérée l'instrument principal dans ce sujet."

more informations on CBD

more informations on GSPC