Biological Diversity: Decisions of the GA and CSD 

UN GA Special session | CSD-3

United Nations General Assembly, 19th Special Session
New York, 23-27 June 1997

Resolution Adopted By The General Assembly for the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21

Biodiversity

66. There remains an urgent need for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of components of genetic resources. The threat to biodiversity stems mainly from habitat destruction, over-harvesting, pollution and the inappropriate introduction of foreign plants and animals. There is an urgent need for Governments and the international community, with the support of relevant international institutions, as appropriate:

(a) To take decisive action to conserve and maintain genes, species and ecosystems with a view to promoting the sustainable management of biological diversity;

(b) To ratify the Convention on Biological Diversity and implement it fully and effectively together with the decisions of the Conference of the Parties, including recommendations on agricultural biological diversity and the Jakarta Mandate on Marine and Coastal Biological Diversity, and pursue urgently other tasks identified by the Conference of the Parties at its third meeting under the work programme on terrestrial biological diversity, 36/ within the context of the ecosystems approach adopted in the Convention;

(c) To undertake concrete actions for the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, consistent with the provisions of the Convention and the decisions of the Conference of the Parties on, inter alia, access to genetic resources and the handling of biotechnology and its benefits;

(d) To pay further attention to the provision of new and additional financial resources for the implementation of the Convention;

(e) To facilitate the transfer of technologies, including biotechnology, to developing countries, consistent with the provisions of the Convention;

(f) To respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles, and encourage the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from traditional knowledge so that those communities are adequately protected and rewarded, consistent with the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity and in accordance with the decisions of the Conference of the Parties;

(g) To complete rapidly the biosafety protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity, on the understanding that the United Nations Environment Programme International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology may be used as an interim mechanism during its development, and to complement it after its conclusion, including the recommendations on capacity-building related to biosafety;

(h) To stress the importance of the establishment of a clearing-house mechanism by Parties to the Convention, consistent with the provisions of the Convention;

(i) To recognize the role of women in the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of biological resources;

(j) To provide the necessary support to integrate the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of biological resources into national development plans;

(k) To promote international cooperation to develop and strengthen national capacity-building, including human resource development and institution-building;

(l) To provide incentive measures at the national, regional and international levels to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and to consider means to enhance developing countries' capabilities to compete in the emerging market for biological resources, while improving the functioning of that market.

Commission on Sustainable Development, 3rd Session
New York, 11-28 April 1995

Report of the Commission on Sustainable Development on the Third Session (11-28 April 1995)

7. Conservation of biological diversity

222. The Commission reaffirms the importance of the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components, including marine and coastal ecosystems. It recognizes that the Convention on Biological Diversity provides the principal mechanism for advancing these objectives and notes with appreciation the statement presented by the President of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention.

223. The Commission notes the successful outcome of the first session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Nassau, the Bahamas, in 1994. It welcomes the adoption by the Conference of the Parties of a medium-term programme of work that reflects a balance among the Convention's three objectives: conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. The Commission also welcomes the prompt establishment under the Conference of the Parties of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the rapid action towards the development of a clearing-house to promote and facilitate technical and scientific cooperation.

224. Furthermore, the Commission welcomes the invitation by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to participate in a dialogue on biodiversity and forests and recognizes the crucial role of conservation and sustainable management of all types of forests for maintaining the biological diversity of the whole planet, as well as the role of biological diversity for the integrity and functioning of forest ecosystems. The Commission emphasizes that biological diversity is of essential importance for the ecosystem functions of forests and further recognizes the role of conservation, management and sustainable use of forests for achieving the objectives of the Convention and welcomes future contributions of the Conference of the Parties to this end.

225. The Commission welcomes the activities to date undertaken within the United Nations system as well as the active participation of non-governmental organizations in the post-United Nations Conference on Environment and Development process.

226. The Commission stresses that the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components cut across a wide spectrum of sectoral and cross-sectoral issues addressed in Agenda 21. The underlying motivation for conserving biological diversity and using its components sustainably is based on its significance for the integrity and functioning of the life-supporting ecosystems, and this is deeply rooted in concerns for the well-being and sustainable development of humankind, embracing such issues as ecosystem services, food security, poverty and the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous people and local communities.

227. The Commission recognizes that, as provided for in article 20.4 of the Convention, the extent to which developing-country parties will effectively implement their commitments under the Convention will depend on the effective implementation by developed-country parties of their commitments under the Convention related to financial resources and transfer of technology.

228. The Commission notes the decision of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to include in its medium-term Programme, inter alia, consideration of the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities.

229. The Commission notes that the restructured and replenished Global Environment Facility (GEF) will continue on an interim basis as the entity entrusted with the operation of the financial mechanisms of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Commission emphasizes the importance of a speedy implementation of these commitments and the other responsibilities of GEF and recalls its 1994 decision in which it stated that the first replenishment of the restructured GEF was a first step at a minimum level and that there would be a need for further replenishment of its funds as the implementation of commitments under the various agreements and objectives envisaged for the Facility proceeded.

230. The Commission, stressing that these activities have to be implemented through the Convention:

(a) Urges the Governments that have not yet done so to ratify, accede to and begin implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity;

(b) Urges the international community to support efforts aimed at capacity-building as well as human resource development, and at the transfer of technology to developing countries for the conservation of biodiversity, including through in situ and ex situ conservation, and the sustainable use of its components, and also urges each country to take legislative, administrative or policy measures, as appropriate, with the aim of having the private sector facilitate access to joint development of technology, in accordance with article 16.4 of the Convention;

(c) Encourages the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in collaboration with relevant organizations, to explore means for coordinating relevant global and regional agreements related to the Convention on Biological Diversity and establishing effective cooperation mechanisms;

(d) Urges Governments to integrate actions geared to conserving biodiversity and the sustainable utilization of its components and to promote sustainable development, inter alia, through integrated action plans and sectoral strategies, particularly in forests, agriculture, living marine resources, rural development and land use, and to monitor the implementation and reporting of progress made;

(e) Also urges Governments to promote the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits accruing from the utilization of biological resources, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity;

(f) Calls upon multilateral organizations, other intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to cooperate with the Convention on Biological Diversity and Governments in developing coordinating mechanisms based on national plans and programmes in accordance with the provisions of the Convention so as to ensure the effective implementation of the Convention and other related agreements;

(g) Welcomes the decision of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention to establish the clearing-house mechanism of the Convention, and urges Governments and intergovernmental, as well as non-governmental organizations, to collect, analyse and disseminate more reliable and adequate data for measuring achievements at the national, regional and global levels;

(h) Calls upon Governments, and multilateral and other intergovernmental organizations to make full use of existing knowledge and to further improve understanding of biodiversity in sustainable development;

(i) Calls upon the international community to make efforts to develop economic mechanisms for determining the costs and benefits of the conservation of biological diversity and sustainable use of its components, and upon Governments in accordance with their national plans, policies and programmes to consider and undertake policies aimed at the effective implementation of the objectives of chapter 15 of Agenda 21;

(j) Welcomes the decision of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to include in its medium-term programme, inter alia, consideration of the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities; takes note of the statement of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (E/CN.17/1995/27, annex) and notes that it would also be desirable that future work on the protection of traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous and local communities relevant to conservation and sustainable use be coordinated with the relevant bodies; and welcomes the progress made in revising the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture which relates to outstanding matters concerning plant genetic resources, including access to ex situ collections and the question of farmers' rights.