The Convention on Biological Diversity
Several decisions and programmes of work under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are implemented in close collaboration with FAO, including the programmes of work on agricultural biodiversity, forest biodiversity and marine and coastal biodiversity and cross-cutting issues and initiatives on food and nutrition, pollinators, soil biodiversity, sustainable wildlife management and many others.
The CBD, known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is one of three conventions that was adopted at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to promote a sustainable planet for future generations. The two other Rio Conventions are the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The CBD entered into force on in 1993, and its membership now consists of 196 Parties.
The CBD has three objectives:
- the conservation of biological diversity;
- the sustainable use of its components; and
- the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.
At the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the CBD (CoP 15), Parties adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which sets the stage for global action on biodiversity over the next decade and beyond. The GBF has 4 goals and 23 targets for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. More than half of the targets are closely related to FAO’s mandate. FAO supports its Members in the implementation of the GBF, including through biodiversity assessments and by providing technical support on sustainable policies and practices and on the monitoring of targets and indicators related to agrifood systems.
