International Biodiversity Conferences

The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (Biodiversity Convention or CBD) is the main international instrument that regulates the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. In 2003, the first supplementary agreement to the Biodiversity Convention - known as the Biosafety Protocol - came into force to regulate the controversial area of international trade in living modified organisms (LMOs). Much of the Biodiversity and Marine Resources Programme's work focuses on issues relevant to these two international agreements, including the provision of legal advice and the supporting of capacity building activities in developing countries.

Biodiversity Convention's Eighth Conference of the Parties: From 20 to 31 March 2006, FIELD attended the Eighth Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 8) in Curitiba, Brazil. During this meeting FIELD provided legal advice and assistance to various Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Further information on the meeting and the resulting recommendations can be found at the CBD Website www.biodiv.org.

Pre-COP 8 Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting: On 19 and 20 March 2006, FIELD provided support to Pacific Regional delegates in a pre-COP 8 meeting of the Asia-Pacific Region. During the meeting FIELD participated in an informational presentation on the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with a representative from the Pacific Island Forum.

CBD COP 8 Side Event: On 24 March 2006, FIELD participated in a side event entitled ' Customary Law, Equitable Benefit-Sharing and Reversed ABS' with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), and the Association for Sustainable Livelihoods (ANDES). The side event was chaired by Maria Berlekom, Programme Director of SwedBio and focussed on: 1) The Agreement between the Potato Park and CIP for repatriation of traditional potatoes - the first-ever agreement for communities to access genetic resources from a gene bank (i.e. 'Reverse ABS'); 2) Use of Customary Law to develop an Inter-Community Agreement for Equitable Sharing amongst the Potato Park communities; 3) Options for including a Reversed ABS approach in the International Regime; and 4) Protection of "Collective Bio-Cultural Heritage".

For a copy of FIELD's power point presentation please click here.

Pacific Islands Ministerial Brief: On 27 March 2006, FIELD contributed to the 'Trade and Biodiversity Loss' section of a briefing document prepared for Pacific Island delegates participating in the High-Level Ministerial Segment of COP 8 held in Curitiba, Brazil.

Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Eighth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 8): From 1 -3 March 2006, FIELD participated in the Pacific regional preparatory meeting in Nadi, Fiji in advance of CBD COP 8. The meeting, organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), was attended by CBD Party delegates from eleven Pacific island countries, representatives from the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific (CROP) agencies, IGOs including UNEP and GEF, and resource NGOs such as FIELD, WWF, and Conservation International (CI). FIELD provided support on a number of agenda item issues, including marine genetic resources beyond national jurisdiction, access and benefit sharing, protected areas, and the island biodiversity programme of work.

Biodiversity Convention's Fourth Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing: From 30 January to 3 February 2006, FIELD attended the Ad hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD WG-ABS 4) in Granada, Spain. During this meeting FIELD provided legal advice and assistance to various Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Further information on the meeting and the resulting recommendations can be found at the CBD Website www.biodiv.org.

CBD WG-ABS 4 Side Event: On Friday 3 February 2006, FIELD participated in a side event entitled 'ABS & Poverty: Practical Approaches for Reducing Poverty through ABS' with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Association for Sustainable Livelihoods (ANDES). For a copy of FIELD's power point presentation please click here.

Eleventh Meeting of the Biodiversity Convention's Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-11): On 28 November to 2 December 2005, FIELD lawyers attended the Eleventh Meeting of the CBD SBSTTA-11 meeting in Montreal, Canada. During this meeting FIELD provided legal advice and assistance to various Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Further information on the meeting and the resulting recommendations can be found at the CBD Website- www.biodiv.org.

Click here to view an article co-authored by Linda Siegele (FIELD) and Joy Hyvarinen (RSPB) on the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Performance- Based Resource Allocation Framework (RAF), on page 2 of the 2 December 2005 issue of ECO.