Hot issue - Conserving global biodiversity

  Context According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the term 'biological diversity' is commonly used to describe the number and variety of living organisms on the planet, from all sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems. Biodiversity includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. It is defined in terms of genes, species, and ecosystems which are the outcome of over 3,000 million years of evolution. The human species depends on biological diversity for its own survival. Thus, the term can be considered a synonym for 'life on Earth'. The world's biological diversity is a vast and undervalued resource. It comprises every form of life, from the tiniest microbe to the largest organisms, and the ecosystems of which they are a part. Of the estimated 30 million species on Earth, only about 1.7 million have ever been described. Most species are found near the equator, with diversity peaking in tropical forests and coral reefs. The planet's natural wealth lies not just in its species numbers, but also with the genetic variations within them. Species disappear naturally over time due to evolution, competitive exclusion and habitat change. During the course of living history perhaps 99% of all those species that ever lived are gone. Yet, human activity is drastically speeding up this process to the extent that about one quarter of the Earth's species may be lost within the next 30 years, and at a stage in the Earth's history when its biodiversity has never been as rich. The main cause of man-made species extinction is loss of habitat. In particular, more than half the world's species live in the tropical forests. It is estimated that by 2020, deforestation could wipe out between 5 and 15% of those species. Other notable threats include overexploitation by overhunting and overfishing, population pressures, pollution, and the introduction of non-native competing species into established ecosystems. Loss of biodiversity in turn destabilizes ecosystems which in turn may undermine human society. Certainly, the loss of biodiversity is one of the most pressing environmental, ethical and developmental issues facing our species. The stewards of most of the planet's biodiversity wealth are the developing countries currently undergoing some of the greatest environmental degradation. It is considered that the broadest of global cross-sectoral approaches is needed to conserve the planet's biodiversity. This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED, now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Implementation In 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity was signed during the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, and entered into force on 29 December 1994. Over 160 countries have signed the convention. The Convention's objectives are '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'. This includes appropriate funding, access to genetic resources and transfer of technology. The Interim International Liaison Group on the Biodiversity Convention helps prepare for and contribute more effectively to future intergovernmental meetings on the Convention on Biological Diversity, and intends to validate recommendations of Agenda 21 on the involvement of NGO groups in environmental decision-making. The Convention is thus the first global, comprehensive agreement to address all aspects of biological diversity: genetic resources, species, and ecosystems. It recognizes -- for the first time -- that the conservation of biological diversity is 'a common concern of humankind' and an integral part of the development process. The conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components is not a new item on the diplomatic agenda. It was highlighted in June 1972 at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm. In 1973, the very first session of the Governing Council for the new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) identified the 'conservation of nature, wildlife and genetic resources as a priority area'. The international community's growing concern over the unprecedented loss of biological diversity inspired negotiations for a legally binding instrument aimed at reversing this alarming trend. The negotiations were also strongly influenced by the growing recognition throughout the world of the need for a fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. In response, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) convened the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts on Biological Diversity in November 1988 to explore the need for an international convention on biological diversity. Soon after, in May 1989, it established the Ad Hoc Working Group of Technical and Legal Experts to prepare an international legal instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The experts were to take into account 'the need to share costs and benefits between developed and developing countries' as well as 'ways and means to support innovation by local people'. By February 1991, the Ad Hoc Working Group had become known as the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee. Its work culminated on 22 May 1992 with the Nairobi Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Convention was opened for signature on 5 June 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio 'Earth Summit'). It remained open for signature until 4 June 1993, by which time it had received 168 signatures. The Convention entered into force on 29 December 1993, which was 90 days after the 30th ratification. The first session of the Conference of the Parties was scheduled for 28 November - 9 December 1994 in the Bahamas. In 1992, the World Resources Institute (WRI), IUCN and UNEP, in consultation with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and UNESCO, launched the Global Biodiversity Strategy after a worldwide series of workshops and deliberations. It lays out an international, national and local agenda to stem the tide of species loss and to meet human needs on a sustainable and equitable basis. The Ecosystem Conservation Group was established in 1975 as a channel through which the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and other organizations create a wide range of initiatives in biodiversity conservation. World Wide Fund For Nature's (WWF) primary strategy to the year 2000 is to preserve genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. In 1980, UNEP, The World Conservation Union (IUCN) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) launched the World Conservation Strategy (WCS) which was the first comprehensive policy statement of the link between living resource conservation and sustainable development. It has been used by more than 50 countries as the basis for national conservation strategies. Caring for the Earth, published by IUCN, UNEP and WWF in October 1991, reinforces the WCS and urges conservation as a matter of principle, survival and economic benefit. UNEP helped to develop and cause adoption, in 1982, of the World Charter for Nature, following the initiative of the government of Zaire. It supports the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), which assesses the distribution and abundance of the world's species. Claim The conservation of biological diversity has ceased to be viewed merely in terms of protecting threatened species or ecosystems. It has emerged as a fundamental part of the move towards sustainable development. Thus the Convention on Biodiversity Conservation introduces a novel approach aimed at reconciling the need for conservation with the concern for development. It is also based on considerations of equity and shared responsibility. To achieve its objectives, the Convention -- in accordance with the spirit of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development -- promotes a renewed partnership among countries. Its provisions on scientific and technical cooperation, access to financial and genetic resources, and the transfer of ecologically sound technologies form the foundations of this partnership. Indeed, for the first time in the context of biodiversity conservation, an international legal instrument spells out the rights and obligations of its Parties concerning scientific, technical and technological cooperation. To this end, the Convention provides for a financial 'mechanism' and a subsidiary body on scientific, technical and technological advice. For all these reasons, the Convention on Biological Diversity is one of the most significant recent developments in international law, international relations, and the fields of environment and development. It is an affirmation in favour of life itself in all its myriad forms.