Convention on Biological Diversity

The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-10) was
held from 18 to ! Octo"er 010 in #agoya$ %ichi Prefect&re$ 'a(an) *ome 18$000
(artici(ants re(resented the 1!+ Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
and their (artners closed the #agoya Biodiversity *&mmit "y ado(ting historic decisions
that will (ermit the comm&nity of nations to meet the &n(recedented nations to meet the
&n(recedented challenges of the contin&ed loss of "iodiversity com(o&nded "y climate
change) ,overnments agreed on a (ac-age of meas&res that will ens&re that the
ecosystems of the (lanet will contin&e to s&stain h&man well-"eing into the f&t&re)
The meeting achieved its three inter-lin-ed goals.
%do(tion of a new ten year *trategic Plan to g&ide international and national
efforts to save "iodiversity thro&gh enhanced action to meet the o"/ectives of the
Convention on Biological Diversity)
% reso&rce mo"ili0ation strategy that (rovides the way forward to a s&"stantial
increase to c&rrent levels of official develo(ment assistance in s&((ort of
"iodiversity1 and
% new international (rotocol on access to and sharing of the "enefits from the
&se of the genetic reso&rces of the (lanet)
The 2&lti-3ear Plan of %ction on *o&th-*o&th Coo(eration on Biodiversity for
Develo(ment ado(ted "y the 1+1 mem"ers of the ,ro&( of 44 and China was
welcomed as an im(ortant instr&ment at the service of the new vision) 5inance in
s&((ort of im(lementation of the Convention was anno&nced) The Prime 2inister of
'a(an$ 2r) #aoto 6an$ anno&nced "illion 7* dollars in financing$ the 2inister of
8nvironment of 'a(an anno&nced the esta"lishment of a 'a(an Biodiversity 5&nd)
%dditional financial reso&rces were anno&nced "y 5rance$ the 8&ro(ean 7nion and
#orway) *ome 110 million 7* dollars were mo"ili0ed in s&((ort of (ro/ects &nder the
CBD 9ife :e" ;nitiative aimed at enhancing the (rotected-area agenda) 5inancial
s&((ort for the *trategic Plan will "e (rovided &nder the framewor- of the reso&rce
mo"ili0ation strategy) Parties will wor- to define in time for the eleventh meeting of the
Conference of the Parties in 01$ the targets and mechanisms thro&gh which financial
reso&rces can "e identified$ &nleashed and channeled)
Parties ado(ted the #agoya Protocol on %ccess to ,enetic <eso&rces and the 5air and
8=&ita"le *haring of Benefits %rising from Their 7tili0ation) The historic agreement
creates a framewor- that "alances access$ to genetic reso&rces on the "asis of (rior
informed consent and m&t&ally agreed terms with the fair and e=&ita"le sharing of the
"enefits while ta-ing into acco&nts the im(ortant role of traditional -nowledge) The
Protocol also (ro(osed the creation of a glo"al m&ltilateral mechanism that will o(erate
in trans-"o&ndary areas or sit&ations where (rior informed consent cannot "e o"tained)
The #agoya Protocol is e>(ected to enter into force "y 01$ with s&((ort from the
,lo"al 8nvironment 5acility of one million 7* dollars to s&((ort early entry into force)
COP-11$ the ne>t meeting of the Conference of the Parties$ will ta-e (lace in 01 in
;ndia)
Nagoya Protocol
The 7# "iodiversity s&mmit ended in #agoya ('a(an) with agreement over a strategic
(lan on how to (rotect animals and (lants$ how to (rovide money for it$ and how to
share the reven&es for medicines and cosmetics (rod&ced from medicinal (lants) %fter
n&mero&s delays and (rotracted "ac-room negotiations$ delegates from 1! co&ntries
and the 8&ro(ean 7nion agreed on the iss&es$ at least one of which has "een (ending
since the early nineties ? the reven&e share$ -nown as access and "enefit sharing
(%B*)) The agreement will now "e -nown as the #agoya Protocol) The strategic (lan$
which aims to arrest "iodiversity loss thro&gho&t the world "y 00$ will "e called the
%ichi Target$ %ichi "eing the (refect&re in which the city of #agoya is located) %
(revio&s s&mmit had ado(ted a similar (lan in 00$ to arrest "iodiversity loss "y 010$
"&t that (romise has not "een -e(t) #ow all co&ntries have agreed that "y 00$ at least
14 (ercent of terrestrial and inland water$ and 10 (er cent of coastal and marine areas$
es(ecially areas of (artic&lar im(ortance for "iodiversity and ecosystem services$ are
conserved thro&gh effectively and e=&ita"ly managed$ ecologically re(resentative and
well connected systems of (rotected areas and other effective area-"ased conservation
meas&res$ and integrated into the wider landsca(es and seasca(es)
The (rotracted negotiations ens&red that almost all other n&merical targets ? li-e how
m&ch money rich co&ntries wo&ld (ay so that (oor co&ntries co&ld (rotect their (lants
and animals ? had "een dro((ed "y the time the resol&tions were "ro&ght to the
s&mmit@s (lenary session for ado(tion) They co&ld only agree on a (lan to identify the
necessary f&nding "y 01 to im(lement to strategic (lan) 8ven then$ as the (lenary
session convened and reconvened after a long ga($ it was not at all certain that the
resol&tions wo&ld "e (assed) Thro&gh re(eated interventions$ delegates from C&"a$
Bolivia$ Aene0&ela$ 8c&ador and 6enya ens&red that the iss&es were disc&ssed
se(arately$ and not as a (ac-age as wanted "y the 8&ro(ean 7nion)
Before the (lenary session was ad/o&rned for the rece(tion hosted "y ;ndia ? the host
for the ne>t s&mmit in 01 ? and for more horse trading over finance and %B*$ s&mmit
(resident <y& 2ats&moto$ 'a(an@s environment minister$ did get thro&gh some
im(ortant decisions) They incl&ded following resol&tions)
to safeg&ard "iodiversity in mo&ntains$ in inland water "odies$ in marine and
coastal areas$ areas already (rotected (s&ch as wildlife sanct&aries)$ in forests$
in farms in dry and s&"-h&mid lands$ in cities)
for s&staina"le &se of "iodiversity and to (rovide incentives for the (&r(ose1
to ens&re "iodiversity (rotection while tac-ling climate change1
to ens&re gender e=&ity in all "iodiversity conservation (rocesses1
to -ee( invasive alien s(ecies away1
to have a code of ethical cond&ct that wo&ld ens&re res(ect for the c&lt&ral and
intellect&al heritage of indigeno&s and local comm&nities1
for *o&th-*o&th coo(eration for "iodiversity conservation1
to standardi0e scientific names of (lants and animals1 and
to have 011-00 as the 7# decade for "iodiversity conservation)
Aichi Target
The *trategic Plan of the Convention on Biological Diversity or the B%ichi Target@$
ado(ted "y the meeting incl&de 0 headline targets$ organi0ed &nder five strategic
goals that address the &nderlying ca&ses of "iodiversity loss$ red&ce the (ress&res on
"iodiversity$ safeg&ard "iodiversity at all levels$ enhance the "enefits (rovided "y
"iodiversity$ and (rovide for ca(acity-"&ilding)
%mong the targets$ it is im(ortant to note that Parties.
%greed to at least halve and where feasi"le "ring close to 0ero the rate of loss of
nat&ral ha"itats incl&ding forests1
8sta"lished a target of 14 (er cent of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10
(er cent of marine and coastal areas1
Thro&gh conservation and restoration$ ,overnments will restore at least 1C
(ercent of degraded areas1 and
:ill ma-e s(ecial efforts to red&ce the (ress&res faced "y coral reefs)
Parties also agreed to a s&"stantial increase in the level of financial reso&rces in
s&((ort of im(lementation of the Convention) The B%ichi Target@ will "e the overarching
framewor- on "iodiversity not only for the "iodiversity-related conventions$ "&t for the
entire 7nited #ations system) Parties agreed to translate this overarching international
framewor- into national "iodiversity strategy and action (lans within two years)
International Year of Biodiversity
;n its 8+
rd
(lenary meeting$ the ,eneral %ssem"ly of the 7nited #ations declared 010
the ;nternational 3ear of Biodiversity and designated the secretariat of the CBD as the
focal (oint) This year coincides with the 010 Biodiversity Target ado(ted "y the Parties
to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and "y Deads of *tate and ,overnment
at the :orld *&mmit for *&staina"le Develo(ment in 'ohannes"&rg in 00) The 010
Biodiversity Target aims to significantly red&ce the rate of "iodiversity loss "y this date)
The 3ear also ta-es (lace at the "eginning of the second half of the 7nited #ations)
Decade of 8d&cation for *&staina"le Develo(ment (D8*D) which aims to integrate
ed&cation for s&staina"le develo(ment into all formal ed&cational levels$ and for the
general (&"lic$ incl&ding ed&cation for the s&staina"le &se of "iodiversity)
Main Goals
The main goals of the ;nternational 3ear of Biodiversity are to.
8nhance (&"lic awareness of the im(ortance of conserving "iodiversity and of
the &nderlying threats to "iodiversity)
<aise awareness of the accom(lishments to save "iodiversity that have already
"een reali0ed "y comm&nities and governments)
Promote innovative sol&tions to red&ce the threats to "iodiversity
8nco&rage individ&als$ organi0ations and governments to ta-e immediate ste(s
to halt "iodiversity loss
*tart dialog&e "etween sta-eholders for the ste(s to "e ta-en in the (ost-010
(eriod)