Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Its Contribution to Sustainable Development

A/RES/76/207View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 20fConvention on Biological Diversity, published in 2021.

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14 versions · 2013–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/80/140

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2022A/RES/77/167Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its contribution to sustainable developmentCompare with previous version
2022A/RES/76/207Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its contribution to sustainable developmentCompare with previous version

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What subjects does this mandate have?

6 topics

Biological Diversity Conferences Covid-19 Resources Conservation Sustainable Development Technology Transfer

What does this mandate say?

49 operative paragraphs

Takes note of the report of the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity;

Recalls the appointment of the Executive Secretary, and expresses its support for her tenure;

Welcomes the convening of the first part of the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, as well as the meetings of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meetings of the Parties to the Protocols to the Convention, held in Kunming, China, from 11 to 15 October 2021, all under the theme proposed by the host, “Ecological civilization: building a shared future for all life on Earth”, takes note of the Kunming Declaration of its high-level segment, looks forward to the second part of the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, as well as the meetings of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meetings of the Parties to the Protocols to the Convention, which will reconvene in Kunming from 25 April to 8 May 2022, welcomes the pre-conference of the parties organized by Colombia on 30 August 2021 to discuss priorities, expectations and raise political commitment, and recognizes that a post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted is intended to contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and is expected to place the global community on a path towards realizing the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity;

Looks forward to the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties and the meetings of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meetings of the Parties to the Protocols to the Convention, to be held in Turkey;

Recalls the outcomes of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, and recalls with appreciation the convening of the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol and the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol, in Sharm el-Sheikh from 17 to 29 November 2018, under the theme “Investing in biodiversity for people and planet”, recognizes that the outcomes of the meetings will contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and takes note with appreciation of the Sharm el-Sheikh Declaration, adopted at the high-level segment of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;

Also recalls the hosting by Egypt of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, from 17 to 29 November 2018, and of the African Biodiversity Summit, on 13 November 2018, as well as the initiative of the Conference of the Parties at its fourteenth meeting to promote a coherent approach between the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (the Rio conventions), to address biodiversity loss, climate change and land and ecosystem degradation;

Encourages support for the Sharm el-Sheikh to Kunming Action Agenda for Nature and People, which is aimed at collecting, coordinating and celebrating actions in support of biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use, encourages all relevant stakeholders, including indigenous peoples and local communities and the private sector, to consider developing biodiversity commitments, and invites relevant agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and other relevant institutions and intergovernmental organizations, where relevant, to support the implementation of the Action Agenda;

Urges parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and all other relevant stakeholders to mainstream biodiversity into COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, to fully implement and support the 2030 Agenda and other international development goals, including by strengthening approaches to enhance resilience, protecting wild flora and fauna and other living species, reversing the trends in environmental degradation, through the conservation, sustainable use and restoration of ecosystems, preventing the retreat of mountain glaciers and permafrost thaw, sustainably managing all types of forests and halting deforestation and forest degradation, as well as by integrating the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization into relevant national decision-making, emphasizes that biodiversity and health linkages should be addressed holistically, recalls in this regard decision 14/4 of 30 November 2018 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and resolution 3/4 of 30 January 2018 of the United Nations Environment Assembly, and urges parties to adopt a post 2020 global biodiversity framework that contributes to the 2030 Agenda and places the global community on a path towards realizing the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity of living in harmony with nature;

Notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities and challenges for the implementation of the Convention and further highlighted that the loss and degradation of biodiversity increases the risk of zoonotic disease spillover from wildlife to people and that biodiversity should continue to be mainstreamed in COVID-19 recovery plans and in plans aimed at reducing the risk of future pandemics, emphasizes the importance of a One Health approach and other holistic approaches that deliver multiple benefits to the health and well-being of people and planet, that would further strengthen the capacity to address biodiversity loss, prevent and respond to the emergence of diseases, including zoonotic infections, and future pandemics, and contribute to reducing the adverse impacts of climate change, calls for transformative actions from all relevant stakeholders and adequate and sufficient means of implementation, particularly for developing countries, to ensure the full implementation of the Convention to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, and welcomes the financial commitments and initiatives that have been announced from governments, organizations and the private sector that contribute to biodiversity conservation, restoration and sustainable use and keep the political momentum towards the adoption of an ambitious, balanced, practical, effective, robust and transformative post-2020 global biodiversity framework;

Highlights the importance of parties raising high-level political engagement for the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020 and the related Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda;

Recalls the commitments made by the parties at the high-level segment of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties and through the decisions adopted, which support the implementation of the current Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the development of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework, inter alia, to:

Accelerating efforts to implement the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, including by implementing the decisions of the Conference of the Parties and the Cartagena and Nagoya Protocols, as appropriate, and by providing and mobilizing international and national resources, thereby contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda;

Supporting the development and implementation of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework, building on the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the lessons learned from the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and aligned with the 2030 Agenda, with a level of ambition and practicality that will facilitate the transformational changes needed to achieve the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity, as noted in the conclusions of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice;

Promoting, prior to the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, voluntary biodiversity contributions by parties and other actors towards achieving the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity;

Engaging indigenous peoples and local communities, women, youth, civil society, local governments and authorities, academia, the business and financial sectors and other relevant stakeholders to support action towards the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity and to provide momentum for the implementation of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework;

Urges parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to ensure the coherence and complementarity of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework with other existing or upcoming international processes, in particular with regard to the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement and other related processes, frameworks and strategies, and reiterates the invitation to the other multilateral environmental agreements, including biodiversity-related conventions and the Rio conventions, relevant international organizations and their programmes, and other relevant processes to actively participate in the development process for a post-2020 global biodiversity framework;

Recalls the invitation to the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, in the capacity as Chair of the United Nations Environment Management Group, to facilitate, in collaboration with the members of the Group, the contribution of the United Nations system to the development and implementation of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework;

Also recalls the convening of the summit on biodiversity on 30 September 2020, at the level of Heads of State and Government, in order to highlight the urgency of action at the highest levels in support of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework that contributes to the 2030 Agenda and places the global community on a path towards realizing the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity, “Living in harmony with nature”;

Notes with appreciation the contributions to the trust fund of the Office of the President of the General Assembly to support the summit;

Recalls with appreciation the entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity on 12 October 2014;

Stresses the importance of mainstreaming biodiversity for achieving the objectives of the Convention, the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020, its Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity in order to achieve the transformational change required throughout societies and economies, including changes in behaviour and decision-making at all levels, and urges all relevant stakeholders to mainstream biodiversity in all relevant sectors;

Welcomes the decisions of the parties to the Convention to better mainstream biodiversity and to take specific actions tailored to national needs and circumstances, and in line with other relevant international agreements, including in key sectors, such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism, as well as health, energy, mining, infrastructure, manufacturing and processing sectors, which are crucial for addressing biodiversity loss, bearing in mind the impact of these sectors on biodiversity;

Stresses the importance of mainstreaming biodiversity in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda as part of national implementation plans for the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular all biodiversity-related Goals and targets;

Recognizes that integrating biodiversity considerations into sectoral and cross-sectoral policies, plans and programmes at all levels is critical for harnessing the benefits of enhanced synergies and policy coherence;

Encourages the respective parties, in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to take concrete measures towards achieving the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Protocols thereto, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol, requests the parties, in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to coherently and efficiently implement the obligations and commitments under the Convention and the Protocols, and in this regard emphasizes the need to comprehensively address at all levels the difficulties that may impede their implementation;

Recognizes that the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity can significantly contribute to disaster risk reduction and to reducing the adverse impacts of climate change, including by adding resilience to fragile ecosystems and making them less vulnerable;

Urges the parties to the Convention to facilitate the transfer of technology for the effective implementation of the Convention in accordance with article 16 and other relevant provisions of the Convention, in this regard takes note of the strategy for the practical implementation of the programme of work on technology transfer and scientific and technical cooperation developed by the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Technology Transfer and Scientific and Technological Cooperation, as well as of decision XI/2, entitled “Review of progress in implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans and related capacity-building support to parties”, and recalls the relevant decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its twelfth meeting in this regard;

Notes with appreciation the efforts made by the secretariat of the Convention, parties to the Convention and the Global Environment Facility, as the financial mechanism of the Convention, in conjunction with United Nations funds and programmes and the specialized agencies, as well as other entities, in organizing capacity-building workshops to support countries in the updating of national biodiversity strategies and action plans, with a view to enhancing capacity and addressing the need for human, technical and financial resources to implement the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention at its tenth meeting, in particular for developing countries;

Recognizes with concern the limited progress in the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 by the parties to the Convention, and, given the limited time remaining, calls upon all parties to accelerate and scale up efforts to implement them, acknowledging the contribution of such efforts to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals;

Notes with concern the limited progress made in the implementation of the three objectives of the Convention, namely, 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;

Notes with particular concern the limited progress made by its parties in the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol;

Notes the limited progress made in mainstreaming article 8 (j) of the Convention and related provisions into various areas of work under the Convention, takes note with appreciation of decision 14/17 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention to consider the development of a fully integrated programme of work on article 8 (j) and related provisions within a post-2020 global biodiversity framework, to allow for the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities in the work of the Convention, and in this regard invites the secretariat of the Convention, through the Secretary-General, to report on the progress made by the Ad Hoc Open-ended Inter-sessional Working Group on Article 8 (j) and related provisions when reporting on the implementation of the present resolution to the General Assembly;

Encourages parties to promote the mainstreaming of gender considerations, taking into account the 2015–2020 Gender Plan of Action under the Convention on Biological Diversity, in developing, implementing and revising their national and, where appropriate, regional and subnational biodiversity strategies and action plans and equivalent instruments in implementing the three objectives of the Convention, recognizes the need to enhance cooperation on capacity-building in order to support parties in this process, and emphasizes the importance of integrating a gender perspective into the process of developing a post-2020 global biodiversity framework;

Calls upon Governments and all stakeholders to take appropriate measures to mainstream consideration of the socioeconomic impacts and benefits of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and its components, as well as ecosystems that provide essential services, into relevant programmes and policies at all levels, in accordance with national legislation, circumstances and priorities;

Reaffirms the importance of continuing to pursue more efficient and coherent implementation of the three objectives of the Convention, and calls upon parties and stakeholders to strengthen international cooperation measures for the fulfilment of obligations contained in the Convention;

Invites all parties, relevant departments of the Secretariat, the specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and the regional commissions to continue to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020;

Reaffirms the need for a comprehensive and participatory process towards developing proposals for the follow-up to the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020, fully in line with decision XIII/1 and decision 14/34, as well as other relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention;

Recognizes that parties to the Convention have reiterated that resources, financial, human and technical, need to be provided and mobilized from all sources, with a view to the effective implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and a post-2020 global biodiversity framework to follow it, stresses the need for further consideration of the evaluation of all resources mobilized in terms of the biodiversity outcomes achieved, and, in this regard, welcomes the decision of the parties to the Convention on an overall substantial increase in total biodiversity-related funding for the implementation of the Strategic Plan from a variety of sources, including national and international resource mobilization, international cooperation and the exploration of new and innovative financial mechanisms, as appropriate, and notes that the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties affirmed that resource mobilization will be an integral part of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework and initiated preparations of this resource mobilization component at an early stage and in full coherence and coordination with the overall process of developing a post-2020 framework;

Invites countries that have not yet done so to ratify or accede to the Convention;

Invites parties to the Convention to ratify or accede to the Nagoya Protocol, and invites the Executive Secretary of the Convention and the Global Environment Facility, within its mandate as the financial mechanism of the Convention, in collaboration with relevant organizations, to continue to support capacity-building and development activities to support the ratification and implementation of the Protocol;

Also invites parties to the Convention to consider, as appropriate, ratifying or acceding to the Cartagena Protocol;

Invites parties to the Cartagena Protocol to consider, as appropriate, ratifying or acceding to the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety;

Notes with concern the findings of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and stresses the urgent need to halt the global decline of biodiversity, which is unprecedented in human history, including its main indirect and direct drivers, in particular changes in land and sea use, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution and invasion of alien species;

Notes that increasing investments in nature-based solutions has the potential to cost-effectively support biodiversity conservation, restoration and its sustainable use, to help advance climate mitigation and adaptation and to reduce adverse impacts of climate change and to slow, halt and even reverse some aspects of biodiversity and ecosystem loss, and therefore invites all relevant stakeholders to pay due attention to the opportunities it presents;

Takes note with concern of the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its special reports entitled Global Warming of 1.5°C, The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate and Climate Change and Land: An IPCC Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Terrestrial Ecosystems;

Stresses the importance of the engagement of the private sector and other relevant stakeholders, as well as indigenous peoples and local communities, women and youth, in the implementation of the three objectives of the Convention and in the achievement of the biodiversity targets, invites them to align their practices more explicitly with the objectives of the Convention, including through partnerships, in accordance with national legislation, circumstances and priorities, in this regard stresses the importance of the ongoing work of the Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity, and notes other related and complementary initiatives;

Notes the ongoing work of the Joint Liaison Group of the secretariats and offices of the relevant subsidiary bodies of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention to Combat Desertification and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Conventions, acknowledges the importance of improving coherence in the implementation of those conventions, recognizes the importance of enhancing synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions and agreements, without prejudice to their specific objectives, in this regard notes the contribution of the United Nations Environment Assembly, as reflected in its resolution 2/17 of 27 May 2016, and the outcomes of its fourth session, held in Nairobi from 11 to 15 March 2019, in particular its ministerial declaration, and encourages the conferences of the parties to the biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements to consider strengthening efforts in this regard, taking into account relevant experiences and bearing in mind the respective independent legal status and mandates of those instruments;

Reaffirms the commitment at the very heart of the 2030 Agenda to leave no one behind and commit to taking more tangible steps to support people in vulnerable situations and the most vulnerable countries and to reach the furthest behind first;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly, at its seventy-seventh session, a report on the implementation of the present resolution, including on the potential link between COVID-19 and biodiversity and the implications and recommendations for building back better, progress in the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, and decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-seventh session, under the item entitled “Sustainable development”, the sub-item entitled “Convention on Biological Diversity”.

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