Biodiversity and Marine Resources Programme - Overview

Contact: FIELD

Current Projects

Past Projects

Biological Diversity (or biodiversity) encompasses all living organisms on Earth, and includes all genetic, species and ecosystem variations. Biodiversity is an essential component of our environment, yet it is reckoned that some 100 species are being lost every day. This is largely due to human activities that are causing habitat loss and fragmentation, and the introduction of invasive alien species, as well as over-exploitation of natural resources.

Biodiversity also faces newer challenges, such as those posed by the release into the environment of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The need for conservation of biodiversity is now widely accepted, and there are various international treaties and agreements in place that aim to halt its rapid decline. However, for these agreements to be successful, they have to be enforced alongside other international agreements dealing with economic development, trade and investment, and the underlying causes of biodiversity loss must be identified and addressed within this framework.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) & The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

The CBD is the main international instrument that regulates the conservation and sustainable use of Biodiversity, and it now has 187 Parties. In January 2000, the first protocol to the convention was adopted, in the controversial area of regulating international trade in GMOs. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety continues to raise issues about the relationship between the international environment and trade regimes.

FIELD established its Biodiversity Programme in 1997 to deal with issues arising out of the threefold objectives of the CBD: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources. The work of the programme focuses mainly on these three issues, as well as on liability and redress for damage caused to biodiversity. The programme has worked closely with other NGOs, international organisations and developing countries, both in providing legal advice, undertaking research and in capacity building projects that allow greater participation in formulating policies that protect biodiversity both at the national and international level.

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