The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a landmark international treaty that originated as part of the Rio Conventions during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 [1].
Structure of the CBD
The history of the CBD-COP has played a critical role in shaping global biodiversity policies since the treaty’s adoption at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
As a legally binding agreement, the CBD aims to conserve biodiversity, promote sustainable use, and ensure equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources [1]. Over the past three decades, the COPs have marked significant milestones in biodiversity governance [1].
The CBD process involves negotiation groups that represent different interests and regions. These groups include developed and developing countries, which are formal negotiating partners as members of the Treaty. There are also informal and non-state negotiators, such as NGOs, indigenous groups, local communities, etc.
Negotiations often involve complex discussions on issues such as financial resources, technology transfer, and capacity building [1].
Origins and Notable Achievements of CBD
The first COP took place in Nassau (1994), setting the foundation for future negotiations. Subsequent meetings introduced critical frameworks, like COP3 (Buenos Aires, 1996), which emphasized agricultural biodiversity, and COP5 (Nairobi, 2000), which established the Caragena Protocol on Biosafety, regulating the movement of genetically modified organisms [1].
COP10 (Nagoya, 2010) was another landmark, adopting the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, a global roadmap for conservation efforts [1].
However, many of these targets were unmet by their 2020 deadline, leading to the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at COP15 (2022), which aims to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 [1].
One of the most significant achievements under the CBD is the adoption of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in 2000. This protocol aims to protect biological diversity from potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology [1].
Another milestone is the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing, adopted in 2010. This protocol establishes a framework for fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources [1].
The Aichi Biodiversity Targets, adopted at COP10 in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010, represent another critical achievement. These targets set ambitious goals for biodiversity conservation to be achieved by 2020 and have guided global biodiversity efforts over the past decade [1]. However, as of 2024, none of the 20 Aichi targets were fully achieved at a global level [2].
COP15 was a landmark moment in global biodiversity negotiations. Held in two parts – Kunming, China (October 2021) and Montreal, Canada (December 2022) – it finalized the landmark GBF, including the “30×30” goal to conserve 30% of the planets land and waters by 2030, alongside commitments to mobilize $200 billion annually for biodiversity by 2030 and reform harmful subsidies [4].
Given their ambitions, these COPs were informally named the “Paris Agreement for biodiversity” [5]. This is explored in more depth in our article on The Importance Of COP15 And The 30×30 Target. Building on these commitments, COP16 in Cali, Colombia focused on implementing and financing the GBF.
As the CBD continues to evolve, the commitments made at COP15 and COP16 highlight the urgency of translating global biodiversity goals into concrete action. With ambitious targets set for 2030, the success of the CBD will depend on sustained political will, financial investment, and international collaboration to protect the planet’s biodiversity for future generations.
