The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a legally binding multilateral environmental treaty, not an Indian act or scheme, that addresses the global problem of biodiversity loss. It originated from growing international concern over environmental degradation and species extinction. The CBD was opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro on June 5, 1992, and entered into force on December 29, 1993.
The Convention works by pursuing three main objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources. A key mechanism is the recognition of a state's sovereignty over its natural resources, including genetic material (Article 15), which requires Prior Informed Consent (PIC) from the provider country before access.
The CBD is connected to two supplementary international agreements: the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (adopted in 2000, in force 2003), which governs the safe handling and transfer of living modified organisms (LMOs), and the Nagoya Protocol (adopted in 2010, in force 2014), which provides a legal framework for the fair sharing of benefits from genetic resources. India, a party to the CBD, implemented its provisions domestically through the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
The CBD's strategic framework has changed recently: the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (2010-2020) were replaced by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which was adopted in December 2022 at COP 15. The GBF sets new global targets for 2030, such as ensuring the integrity and connectivity of all ecosystems. The core objectives of conservation, sustainable use, and benefit-sharing, however, remain the same.