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UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

2022 DEC 28

Mains   > Environment & Ecology   >   Biodiversity   >   Int'l organisations & conventions

IN NEWS:

  • The 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The framework has 23 targets that the world needs to achieve by 2030.

UN CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY:

  • The Convention on Biological Diversity stems from the growing recognition that biological diversity is an asset of tremendous value to present and future generations across the world.
  • The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992 and entered into force on 29 December 1993.
  • The convention has three main goals:
    • The conservation of biological diversity
    • The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity
    • The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources
  • The Convention is legally binding: countries that join it are obliged to implement its provisions. India is a party to the Convention.
  • 196 countries are parties to the convention, except the USA and the Vatican.

Structure:

  • The Convention’s ultimate authority is the Conference of the Parties (COP).
    • It consists of all governments (and regional economic integration organizations) that have ratified the treaty.
    • It meets every two years to review progress, set priorities and commit to work plans.
  • The Secretariat:
    • Based in Montreal, Canada, its main function is to assist governments in the implementation of the CBD and its programmes of work, to organize meetings, draft documents, and coordinate with other international organizations and collect and spread information.
  • Clearing-house:
    • The Convention provides for the establishment of a clearing-house mechanism to promote and facilitate technical and scientific cooperation.
  • Financial mechanism:
    • The Convention establishes a financial mechanism for the provision of resources to developing countries for the purposes of the Convention.
    • It is operated by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). GEF activities are implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNEP and the World Bank.

PROTOCOLS AND PLANS DEVELOPED BY CBD:

  • Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety:
    • In 2000, Parties to the CBD adopted the Cartegena protocol, seeking to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living genetically modified organisms (LMOs), taking into account human health.
    • It allows governments to signal whether or not they are willing to accept imports of agricultural commodities that include LMOs.
    • They can communicate their decision to the world via a Biosafety Clearing House, a mechanism set up to facilitate the exchange of information on and experience with LMOs.
    • In addition, commodities that may contain LMOs are to be clearly labeled as such when being exported.
  • Aichi biodiversity targets:
    • At the 10th Conference of the Parties in October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan, the Parties to the Convention agreed on a ten-year global Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 to combat biodiversity loss over the next decade and defined 20 concrete targets, known as the Aichi targets.
    • Read here: https://www.ilearncana.com/details/Aichi-Biodiversity-Targets/1201

  • Access and Benefit Sharing agreement:
    • The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
    • The Nagoya Protocol applies to genetic resources that are covered by the CBD, and to the benefits arising from their utilization. The Protocol also covers traditional knowledge (TK) associated with genetic resources that are covered by the CBD and the benefits arising from its utilization.
  • Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF):

INDIA AND CBD:

  • India is a party to the CBD. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change is the nodal Ministry in the Government of India for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
  • India hosted the the COP 11 to the CBD and the sixth Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in 2012 at Hyderabad.
  • India signed the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and became a Party on September 11, 2003. India signed the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) in May 2011, and ratified it in October 2012.
  • Biological Diversity Act, 2002:
    • The CBD prescribes that access to genetic resources is subject to national legislation. Accordingly, India had enacted the Biological Diversity Act in 2002.
    • The Act envisages a three-tier structure to regulate the access to biological resources:
      • National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the central level, to regulate activities related to access to biological resources, fair and equitable sharing of benefits by granting approvals and advising central and state governments.
      • State Biodiversity Boards (SBB) at the state level, to advice the State Government on matters relating to the conservation, sustainable use, equitable sharing of benefits and regulate the commercial utilization of any biological resource by Indians.
      • Biodiversity Management Committees at the local level, to promote conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity.
  • National Biodiversity Action Plan:
    • The CBD mandates each Party to prepare a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action plan. Accordingly, government developed a National Policy and Macrolevel Action Strategy on Biodiversity in 1999. Later, in 2008, the NBAP was developed.
    • It is based on the principle that human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development and they are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.
    • The 2008 NBAP was further updated with Addendum 2014 in order to integrate the Aichi biodiversity targets. Accordingly, India has developed 12 National Biodiversity Targets.
  • Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL):
    • The TKDL is an Indian digital knowledge repository dedicated to traditional knowledge, particularly medicinal plants and formulas utilised in Indian medical systems.
    • The library’s goal is to safeguard the country’s historic and traditional knowledge from exploitation through bio – piracy and illegitimate patents.
    • The TKDL currently contains information from existing literature related to Indian system of medicine such as Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Yoga. 
    • The information is documented in a digitized format in five international languages: English, German, French, Japanese and Spanish.

SIGNIFICANCE OF CBD:

  • Recognizes the importance of biodiversity:
    • The CBD stems from the growing recognition that biological diversity is an asset of tremendous value to present and future generations across the world.
  • Comprehensive international agreement:
    • It takes a comprehensive approach and seeks to conserve the diversity of life on Earth at all levels - genetic, population, species, habitat, and ecosystem.
  • Supports sustainable development:
    • It recognizes that setting social and economic goals for the use of biological resources and the benefits derived from genetic resources is central to the process of sustainable development, and that this in turn will support conservation.
  • Country-focused approach:
    • The Convention does not set any concrete targets, annexes relating to sites or list of protected species. The responsibility of determining how most of its provisions are to be implemented at the national level falls to the individual Parties themselves.
  • Recognises traditional knowledge:
    • For the first time in an international legal instrument, the Convention recognises the importance of traditional knowledge.
    • It calls for the wider application of such knowledge, with the approval and involvement of the holders, and establishes a framework to ensure that the holders share in any benefits that arise from the use of such traditional knowledge.
  • Inclusive growth:
    • The Nagoya Protocol provides a transparent legal framework to make sure that the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources is shared fairly and equitably among the providers and users of genetic resources.
  • Prevent biopiracy:
    • India has been a victim of misappropriation or biopiracy of our genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, which have been patented in other countries (Eg: Neem and haldi). It is expected that efforts like the ABS Protocol under the CBD would address this concern.
  • Information sharing:
    • The "Clearing-House Mechanism" ensures that all governments have access to the information and technologies they need for their work on biodiversity. It also promotes technical and scientific cooperation within and between countries.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. What are the main goals of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity? What measures have India taken to attain these goals?

Q. How does biodiversity vary in India? How is the Biological Diversity Act,2002 helpful in the conservation of flora and fauna? (GS 3, 2018)