Showing papers on "Convention on Biological Diversity published in 1997"

Domestic Institutions and International Regulatory Cooperation: Comparative Responses to the Convention on Biological Diversity

Abstract: International regimes develop in three general ways: through coercion, convergence ("harmony"), or mutual state choice. Lasting coercive cooperation is rare. 1 Harmony is of limited interest. 2 In the majority of cases--and those of the greatest theoretical and practical significance--regimes arise through explicit state choices to cooperate. This article explores state choice toward international regulatory regimes for environmental protection. Regulatory regimes are frequently aimed at diffuse private actors and behaviors. International regime rules are commonly transformed into binding domestic rules or standards; regulatory cooperation, and environmental cooperation in particular, is marked by the degree to which this process of implementation relies upon and is shaped by existing domestic institutions and political structures. Because regulatory regimes at the international level are nearly always administrated through regulatory regimes at the domestic level, the latter, in conjunction with the politics new regulation [End Page 482] engenders, are central to understanding state choice. While many analyses have examined the role of domestic politics in international cooperation, I focus on domestic institutions. This article shows how institutions, in conjunction with the interests of key societal actors and the political incentives faced by governments, help to determine the expected political, economic, and legal impact of international commitments. Given that states are collectively the architects of international institutions, and these anticipated effects thus partly endogenous, the domestic regulatory structures of powerful states can also be critical influences on the scope, structure, and terms of international institutions. To develop these claims, I examine an important recent case of international environmental cooperation, the protection of global biological diversity ("biodiversity"), and analyze the divergent responses of two leading states to the core agreement of the new regime. While the United Kingdom signed and ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 3 negotiated as one of the keystones of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the United States refused to do so. Both states were active participants in the negotiations and shared a host of similarities: the likelihood both of harm from biodiversity loss and of gain from biodiversity protection, positions as economic powers, intensity of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, antiregulatory leadership, and positions on critical issues like intellectual property protection. Two theoretical perspectives that examine areas of potential difference are used to explore this divergence in choice toward the CBD. Building on the seemingly central role played by science and scientists in the formation of environmental regimes, Peter Haas and others have developed a prominent knowledge-based account of state behavior in which epistemic influence, built on positive and normative understandings shared by an elite community of experts, explains much of the observed intergovernmental coordination in environmental affairs. 4 An alternative perspective, that I term "regulatory politics," proposes that variations in core domestic institutions critically shape the anticipated impact of regime rules and hence the domestic politics of international cooperation.

Towards the selection of taxa for plant genetic conservation

Abstract: The signing and ratification of the Convention on Biological Diversity has resulted in increased scientific and public interest in the conservation and utilisation of biological diversity This has in turn triggered the need to develop more effective methodologies to conserve biological diversity for the benefit of all humanity One of the first factors to be considered when conserving botanical diversity is the efficient and effective selection of the target taxa The aim of this paper is not to set detailed priorities for the genetic conservation of the plant genetic resources of any particular crop or species complex, but to draw attention to the factors that should be considered when formulating priorities The factors that are considered important when selecting plant genetic resource targets are: current conservation status; potential economic use; threat of genetic erosion; genetic distinctiveness; ecogeographic distribution; biological importance; cultural importance; cost, feasibility and sustainability; legislation; ethical and aesthetic considerations; and priorities of the conservation agency undertaking the conservation Each of these factors is discussed in turn Although it is not possible to provide a single methodology for the selection of plant genetic resource targets at this time, it is hoped that the consideration the factors discussed will make the selection of target taxa more object, make better use of the limited conservation resources and thus enhance the process of genetic conservation as a whole

Global action for biodiversity: an international framework for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Abstract: At the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the nations of the world adopted the convention on Biological Diversity. Since then, over 160 countries have ratified the Convention, three Conferences of the Parties have taken place and a permanent secretariat has been established. Despite this, there remains a lot of uncertainty and even more controversy about what the Convention was intended to accomplish and how it was to do so. This book, published in association with the IUCN - The World Conservation Union, sets out to answer some of these questions by recounting the history of the movements leading up to the Convention, but especially by analysing the forces giving rise to the problem. It provides a specific set of policy prescriptions intended to facilitate the development of institutions and obligations within the international community which will give real effect to the aspirations of the Convention, and the ensure that it has some real effect at ground level. The author begins with an overview of the issues and then develops the basic nature of the problems within a bio-economic framework. He highlights the gaps in the Convention which remain to be filled, offers detailed explanations of the concepts involved and describes the nature of the solutions required. Thus he sets out a detailed plan for global action in support of an effective international convention for the conservation of biological diversity. The book is an excellent introduction to a very topical debate, and a valuable reference point for conservationists, policy makers and students of development studies, environmental studies, environmental policy and conservation biology.

Global Action for Biodiversity: An International Framework for Implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity

Abstract: At the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the nations of the world adopted the convention on Biological Diversity. Since then, over 160 countries have ratified the Convention, three Conferences of the Parties have taken place and a permanent secretariat has been established. Despite this, there remains a lot of uncertainty and even more controversy about what the Convention was intended to accomplish and how it was to do so. This book, published in association with the IUCN - The World Conservation Union, sets out to answer some of these questions by recounting the history of the movements leading up to the Convention, but especially by analysing the forces giving rise to the problem. It provides a specific set of policy prescriptions intended to facilitate the development of institutions and obligations within the international community which will give real effect to the aspirations of the Convention, and the ensure that it has some real effect at ground level. The author begins with an overview of the issues and then develops the basic nature of the problems within a bio-economic framework. He highlights the gaps in the Convention which remain to be filled, offers detailed explanations of the concepts involved and describes the nature of the solutions required. Thus he sets out a detailed plan for global action in support of an effective international convention for the conservation of biological diversity. The book is an excellent introduction to a very topical debate, and a valuable reference point for conservationists, policy makers and students of development studies, environmental studies, environmental policy and conservation biology.

International Legal Protection of Wild Fauna and Flora

Abstract: This work deals with international legal instruments, usually multilateral, which have as their main goal the protection of wild fauna and/or flora, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1973) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992).

The internationalization of environmental protection: The domestic politics of global biodiversity protection in the United Kingdom and the United States

Abstract: Q: Unidentified reporter at UNCED: “I just wanted to ask about… the real attitude of the US government towards this summit. Down here your delegation has been very constructive … But meanwhile, in Washington, senior Administration officials are talking with reporters not for attribution and are calling the proceedings here a circus … Which of the two approaches does represent the real US position toward this conference?” A: Michael Young, Deputy Undersecretary for Economic Affairs, US Department of State: “Circus is not pejorative. I mean, we mean it in the kindest possible way …” Introduction One of two major treaties to result from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) process, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) addresses one of the most important global environmental problems of our time: the alarming increase in the rate of species extinction and ecosystem destruction. In the words of the eminent biologist E. O. Wilson: the one process ongoing in the 1990s that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us. Despite active participation throughout the negotiations, the United States was alone among the advanced industrial states in deciding not to sign the CBD. In taking this (in)action the US government incurred considerable adverse publicity and pressure from traditional allies and enemies alike. The United Kingdom, despite some reservations, signed and has ratified the CBD.

Fungi and international biodiversity initiatives.

Abstract: The origin of the term ‘biodiversity’, its various meanings, and current usage are explored. Renewed interest in the subject has spawned a variety of international initiatives at both the political and scientific levels, many of which are relevant to mycologists. The political initiatives include the Convention on Biological Diversity and Biodiversity Action Plans, and the scientific a broad spectrum: the Global Biodiversity Assessment, Species 2000, Systematics Agenda 2000 International, BioNET INTERNATIONAL, DIVERSITAS, All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, and Biodiversity Methods Manuals. Mycologists need to be aware of, and contribute to, such programmes, maintain an enhanced profile, and remain flexible to respond to new challenges.

The road from rio

Abstract: This special Policy Arena marks the fifth anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992. It coincides with the UN General Assembly Special Session in June 1997 which will review progress on Sustainable Development and the implementation of Agenda 21, the blueprint for development agreed at Rio. Three papers here give different perspectives on the issues which have emerged since the Earth Summit and on the process of implementation of two of the international agreements signed at Rio, the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This introductory paper reviews and appraises UNCED and outlines some of the developments since 1992. It highlights issues of equity and of the apparent inability of the international order to make significant impact in the environmental sphere, issues which are discussed in more detail in the subsequent contributions.© 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

International governance on environmental issues

Abstract: Preface. List of Acronyms. Political Dimensions of International Environmental Governance Issues G. Thurdin. Introduction: The Challenge of Global Environmental Governance H. Sjoberg. Global Environmental Governance: Delicate Balances, Subtle Nuances, and Multiple Challenges J.N. Rosenau. Negotiation, Governance, and Regime Building I.W. Zartman. The Desertification Convention: Towards Creating a Multilateral Framework for Coping with Global Threats B. Kjellen. Compliance with International Environmental Accords: Achievements and Strategies H.K. Jacobson, E. Brown Weiss. Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity: Lessons from a National Perspective J. Bodegard. National and Local Policy Implementation as a Participatory Process K. Eckerberg. International Scientific Networks B. Bolin. The Role of Business in International Environmental Governance J.H. Faulkner. On the Formative Side of History: The Role of Non-Governmental Organisations M. Wuori. International Environmental Governance: A Round Up of a Discussion U. Svedin. Index.

The Fourth Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Issues, Outcomes, and Unfinished Business

Abstract: The Fourth Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention was held November 25 to December 6, 1996. It successfully re-emphasized the norm against biological warfare, usefully broadening this to include molecular biology and applications resulting from genome studies. It also emphasized that use in any way and under any circumstances would be a violation of Article I. Disappointingly, compliance concerns regarding Iraq and the former Soviet Union were less strongly addressed. Article IV and the importance of national legislation as a potential counter to possible terrorist use was underlined. The importance of the existing confidence-building measures (CBMs) was confirmed and the work of the Ad Hoc Group was strongly endorsed, with a change to a negotiating format being explicitly stated, although without setting the target date of 1998 for completion. Article X was re-emphasized, with special note made of the advances made at the Rio Summit, Agenda 21, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and of the initiatives being taken by the World Health Organization to counter new, emerging, and re-emerging infectious diseases. This article addresses the issues, outcomes, and unfinished business of the Fourth Review Conference.

The complementary role of environmental and security biological control regimes in the 21st century.

Abstract: As we approach the 21st century, there is increased worldwide concern about disease, whether natural or deliberate, in humans, animals, and plants. There are 2 driving forces for multilateral biological control regimes: international/national security and environmental protection. With respect to deliberately caused disease, these seemingly disparate forces are mutually reinforcing as demonstrated by simultaneous moves to strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Future multilateral biological control regimes based on these developments will aid the security, prosperity, and health of the world community.

Issues emerging in implementing the convention on biological diversity

Abstract: This paper discusses developments emerging as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is implemented by signatory countries, and some of the issues currently under debate in various international fora concerning biodiversity. Biodiversity is central to the development and environment discourse, although the complexity of the problem of biodiversity loss and erosion, and the numerous actors and interests involved in its management, make international negotiations and agreements controversial and highly politicized. Key issues are national sovereignty; conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; access and sharing of benefits of biodiversity. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Marine Biodiversity: Protecting marine biodiversity and integrated coastal zone management

Abstract: Human pressure on the marine environment has never been so intense. Many human-induced physical, chemical and biological changes are adversely affecting biological diversity, and a range of activities are currently resulting in widespread degradation or even complete destruction of different marine habitats. In particular impacts due to development, and conflicts of interest over resource use, are most acute in the coastal zone. Yet it is here that productivity and biodiversity are generally greatest. Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is increasingly recognised as essential for securing the sustainable development of resources and the effective management of coastal and marine areas under national jurisdiction. This chapter describes the typical elements of ICZM and discusses key policy considerations. However the full potential of ICZM for maintaining and enhancing marine biodiversity has yet to be realised. Introduction The protection and management of biological diversity is now firmly established on the international agenda. While ecologists and environmentalists have long recognised the importance of documenting, studying and maintaining biodiversity, it was only in 1992, following years of discussion, that the Convention on Biological Diversity was agreed, and even more recently ratified (UNCED, 1992a). The objectives of the Convention are to conserve biodiversity, to achieve the sustainable use of its components, and to secure the fair and equitable sharing of the genetic resources which that biodiversity represents.

Biodiversity information : needs and options : proceedings of the 1996 International Workshop on Biodiversity Information

Abstract: 1: Keynote Address 2: The importance of biodiversity information Sir Crispin Tickell, Green College, The Radcliffe Observatory, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK 3: Defining and Meeting Needs for Information 4: Information Needs in Biodiversity Assessments - From Genes to Ecosystems V H Heywood, University of Reading, UK 5: Assessing Information Needs for Sustainable Use and Conservation of Biodiversity Dan H Janzen, University of Pennsylvania, USA and R Gamez, INBio, Santa Domingo de Herdia, Costa Rica 6: Defining and Meeting Needs for Information: Agriculture and Forestry Perspective T J B Boyle, Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor, Indonesia and J M Lenne, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, India 7: Collecting and Managing the Information 8: Information Needs of Inventory Programmes D L Hawksworth and R K Mibey, University of Nairobi, Kenya 9: Wider Use and Application of Indigenous Knowledge, Innovations and Practices: Information Systems and Ethical Concerns D D Posey, The Oxford Centre for the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK 10: Management of Information to Support Conservation Decision Making J R Busby, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK 11: Overview of the UNEP/GEF Biodiversity Data Management Project (BDM) F Duff, United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya 12: Distributing the Information 13: The Role of Information in the Operation of the Convention on Biological Diversity C Juma, UNEP, World Trade Centre, Montreal, Canada 14: Designing Information Systems to Support Biodiversity Conservation B A Stein, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, USA 15: Networks for Distributing Information V P Canhos, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brasil, G P Manfio, Tropical Culture Collection, Fundacao de Pesquisas e Tecnologia, Brasil, D A L Canhos, Tropical Database, Fundacao de Pesquisas e Tecnologia, Brasil 16: Biodiversity: The Role of Information Technology in Distributing Information J R Burley, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, P R Scott, CAB INTERNATIONAL, Wallingford, UK and A W Speedy, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK 17: Overall Conclusions 18: Final Report Recommendations

The Desertification Convention

Abstract: The Convention to combat desertification is the newest link in the evolving international system for environmental governance. In linking a serious environmental concern with development issues, this Convention can be viewed as an important step towards building a multilateral framework for sustainable development. The structure of the Convention is modelled along the same lines as the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, but it also has a number of original features. It is founded on a horizontal approach, which integrates social, economic, and energy issues into the overall framework, and places a heavy emphasis on a bottom-up approach and local participation. While it is too early to adequately assess the potential impact of the Convention, this paper discusses the global nature of the drylands problem, the process of developing the Convention, the central pillars of the Convention, and the implications for international environmental governance.

Public Policy and New Generic Technologies: The Case of Biotechnology in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract: In recent years African countries have shown an increasing interest in biotechnology.1 This interest has been enhanced by the growth in awareness of the subject generated through the recent negotiations for the Convention on Biological Diversity. Biotechnology has been viewed largely as a technical issue. However, the ability of the African countries to derive significant benefits from biotechnology will depend largely on the degree to which they reform their national policies to facilitate the acquisition and adoption of capabilities associated with biotechnology.

Biodiversity and State of Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources in Korea

Abstract: All the countries have been tried to collect and utilize PGR for crop improvement and research materials for biology. Research infrastructure of PGR is very important in order to improve and utilize the collections. However, there arc numerous problems encountered in the conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources in Korea. Social understanding and consensus about the importance of genetic diversity or plant genetic resources are needed urgently. For realizing further development of food and agriculture and archievement of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the followings are needed; a) construction of national and international network to access germ-plasm and information exchange, b) estabilishment of curator system for collection, classification, regeneration and evaluation efficiently in managing germ-plasm, c) maximum utilization of PGR through the strenthening the genetic and biochemical works.

Incremental costs of wetland conservation : case studies in Asia and the Pacific

Abstract: The cost of protecting a wetland and its biodiversity from the adverse impacts of development is an important input into the choice between development alternatives and into negotiations on sharing the cost of such protection. Although the concept of incremental cost has long been used in economics, finance and business to help decision-makers choose applied to environmental decision-making. This publication illustrates how the incremental cost of development to protect the functions and benefits of wetlands should between alternatives, it is only since Agenda 21, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Global Environment Facility gave it prominence that it has been systematically be compared to the consequences of development that provides no protection. Incremental cost is the cost of a decision to do one thing instead of another. Here is it the additional cost, relative to a baseline course of action affecting a wetland, of a decision to adopt a different course of action that not only meets the original national priorities but also protects biodiversity. This book has two introductory chapters, Biodiversity and the Global Significance of Asian Wetlands and Incremental Costs of Conserving Wetland Biodiversity, complemented by four case studies from the Asia-Pacific region.

Remote sensing as a tool for estimating biodiversity

Abstract: The adoption of the International Convention on Biological Diversity by India obliges us to inventory our country's biodiversity, make all attempts to conserve it and monitor the efficacy of these measures. This is an enormous task, for India harbours some 120 000 known and perhaps another 400 000 as yet undescribed species, which are distributed over its 320 million ha of Iand and 200 million ha of exclusive economic zone in the sea The use of remote sensing techniques would greatly facilitate such an exercise. These techniques can provide us with information about land cover, which can then be related to biodiversity. Such exercises have been attempted before, mainly in agricultural or crop areas, or in relatively species-poor forests, dominated by a few species We review the pertinent Studies, which use airborne sensors as well as satellite imagery. However, most of these techniques are not applicable to the task of inventorying the biodiversity of the Indian heterogeneous species-rich forests We suggest ah alternative methodology, employing a two step approach of (a) mapping the coverage of the entire landscape and seascape of the country in terms of landscape element types with the use of satellite imagery, and (b).sampling representative sets of landscape element types, to correlate these with biological communities, species and genes Our own pilot studies in the Karnataka Western Ghats suggest that the use of the IRS series satellite .imagery coupled to supervised classification can permit identification of landscape element types with distinctive composition in terms of biological species. We believe that this methodology is widely applicable, and suggest specific questions which need to be answered in order to extend this methodology over the country

Directory of guidance documents relating to biodiversity and cultural knowledge research and prospecting

Abstract: Biodiversity in both developing and developed countries has been accessed for a long time by local communities as well as by outside researchers and corporate prospectors. Such activities are carried out for various purposes. Sometimes plants, animals and habitats are merely described, other times the goal is to extract for profit. These activities have helped to advance knowledge and create awareness of how precious biodiversity is. These activities have also generated many products that contribute to the health and well-being of global consumers, but may not necessarily provide benefits to their original stewards. Research has also focused attention on particular features of biodiversity. Biodiversity has been conserved, both by local community traditions, and by more formal means, with varying degree of effectiveness. One recently proposed means is the Convention on Biological Diversity. That convention has been ratified by large number of countries and has stimulated global concern over this issue. It has provided a framework for conserving biodiversity. At the same time many local communities, NGOs and people`s organizations are advancing alternative ways to conserve biodiversity and cultural diversity. In many places, the conservation of biodiversity and the protection of cultural diversity are inescapably intertwined. Despite strong links between biodiversity and the land and the water management traditions of the 6000 linguistically distinct cultures, the Convention on Biological Diversity focuses on nation-state sovereignty over biodiversity. We believe that local communities should have greater say in whether and how biodiversity is studied, extracted and commercialized. We consider prior informed consent to be a necessary requirement of such explorations, as is equitable sharing of any benefits arising from them.

Five Years after the “Earth Summit”: Implementation and Effectiveness of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Abstract: Human Rights and the Role of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees An equally challenging problem relates to the proper role for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the relationship of that office to the newer and much less developed Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In recent years, the UNHCR has, in many respects, also served as a de facto high commissioner for human rights. This has been particularly true as the UNHCR's mandate has evolved from its traditional focus on the protection of refugees outside their countries to include internally displaced persons and other vulnerable populations. This would be an appropriate moment to revisit the issue of UNHCR's protection mandate, and to determine the proper scope of its activities in relation to the evolving and potential future role of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. While there are no simple prescriptions, the need for enhanced coordination between these two agencies is clear. To summarize, the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights came just before at least four significant developments which today are shaping the human rights debate at the United Nations and elsewhere. The Vienna Conference and its final Declaration clearly helped advance progress in one of these areas, namely the creation of the position of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The other three developments—the rapid evolution in the effort to create an international criminal court, the expanded use of human rights monitors and experts in the context of larger UN peace operations, and the increased involvement of the office of the UNHCR—have occurred outside the Vienna Conference process. In evaluating a proper future role for the United Nations in addressing human rights concerns, it will be essential for policy makers to take each of these developments into account.