Key Global Biodiversity Conventions and Frameworks

Global biodiversity conventions and frameworks coordinate international action to conserve species and ecosystems, promote sustainable use, and share benefits fairly. They also establish targets, rules and scientific assessments that help countries address biodiversity loss and assess progress.

Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a multilateral treaty opened for signature at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and in force since 1993. Its three objectives are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. The Conference of the Parties (COP) is its highest governing body. Key protocols and frameworks under the CBD include:

• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: Adopted in 2000 and in force since 2003, it addresses the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology, particularly their transboundary movement.
• Nagoya Protocol: Adopted in 2010 and in force since 2014, it provides a framework for access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation, or ABS.
• Aichi Biodiversity Targets: The 20 targets, adopted at COP 10 in Nagoya in 2010, formed part of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and sought significant progress in halting biodiversity loss by 2020.
• Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF): Adopted at COP 15 in Montreal in December 2022, it sets 23 targets for 2030 and aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, with nature on a path to recovery by 2050. Targets include conserving 30% of the world’s land and sea, halving excess nutrient loss and reducing the risk from pesticides by at least half.

Implementation depends on countries translating global targets into national action, reporting progress and mobilising resources. The GBF is the current global framework under the CBD, succeeding the 2011–2020 Strategic Plan.

CITES and the Ramsar Convention

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted in 1973 and entered into force in 1975. It seeks to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Trade in listed species is subject to controls according to three Appendices:

• Appendix I: Species threatened with extinction; international trade is generally prohibited, except in exceptional circumstances.
• Appendix II: Species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but whose trade must be controlled to avoid use incompatible with their survival.
• Appendix III: Species protected in at least one country that has requested cooperation from other CITES Parties to control trade.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 and entered into force in 1975. It provides a framework for national action and international cooperation on wetland conservation and wise use. Parties designate Wetlands of International Importance, known as Ramsar Sites, and commit to promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands throughout their territories.

Other Important Biodiversity Conventions

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS or Bonn Convention) was concluded in 1979 and entered into force in 1983. It promotes the conservation of terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species across their ranges. Its two Appendices distinguish species requiring strict protection from those that can benefit from international cooperation:

• Appendix I: Endangered migratory species for which Parties commit to strict protection.
• Appendix II: Migratory species with an unfavourable conservation status that would benefit from international cooperative agreements.

The World Heritage Convention, adopted by UNESCO in 1972, identifies and conserves cultural and natural heritage of outstanding universal value. Natural World Heritage Sites can support biodiversity conservation by protecting exceptional ecosystems and habitats for endangered species. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) was adopted in 2001 and entered into force in 2004. Administered through the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), it recognises farmers’ contribution to crop diversity and establishes a global system for access to plant genetic materials. It also provides for fair and equitable sharing of benefits from their use with the countries and farmers who conserve and develop them. Such benefit-sharing mechanisms are a key part of international biodiversity governance.

Institutions and Global Assessments

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), founded in 1948, is a membership union of government and civil society organisations. Its IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assesses the conservation status of species and informs conservation policy and action. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), established in 2012, strengthens the science-policy interface. It provides policymakers with scientific assessments of biodiversity, ecosystems and the services they provide, supporting conservation, sustainable use, human well-being and sustainable development. The Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) is a periodic report published by the CBD Secretariat. It summarises evidence on global biodiversity status and trends, assesses progress towards biodiversity targets and informs subsequent frameworks. Together, scientific assessments and national reporting help identify gaps between agreed global targets and their implementation.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• CBD: Conservation, sustainable use and fair, equitable benefit-sharing are its three objectives.
• Protocols: Cartagena concerns biosafety and LMOs; Nagoya concerns access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources.
• GBF: Adopted at COP 15 in 2022; it includes 23 targets for 2030, including conserving 30% of land and sea.
• CITES: Regulates international trade through three Appendices based on species’ conservation and trade-control needs.
• Ramsar and CMS: Ramsar focuses on wetland conservation and wise use; CMS addresses migratory species and their ranges.
• Institutions: IUCN maintains the Red List, IPBES provides science-policy assessments, and GBO reports on global biodiversity progress.

Recent Context

The Phoenix Species Project was announced on August 4, 2026, with USD 200 million from Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund, split equally, to support 100 species across 30 countries. Each receives five years of support; the IUCN Species Survival Commission is the global knowledge partner. Targets include Critically Endangered and Extinct in the Wild species.