The Importance of International Level Action

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Claudia Lewis, Plan C Initiative, Carlos L. de la Rosa, Catalina Island Conservancy,   "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 12) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

Chapter 12. Verbatim.

The UN World Summit on Sustainable
Development took place in South Africa.
© www.un.org

Many issues related to biodiversity transcend political boundaries, so what a particular country does or does not do affects others.

Here are some examples where international level actions are important:

:: International fishing regulations are needed to help prevent the over-exploitation of marine resources.

:: Pollution of water bodies or overuse of water sources often requires international action, because the affected water bodies may run through more than one country. The same situation applies to air pollution. 

:: Alien species, pests and diseases often have impacts across national borders; their movements and effects need to be addressed at the regional and/or global levels. 

:: Preventing illegal wildlife trade and the smuggling of plant species requires international treaties such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as well as coordination between many agencies and countries.

:: Stabilising the Earth’s changing climate will require the participation of every country in the world, especially the most industrialised ones.  

:: Providing funding to support the implementation ofsustainability programmes in developing countries. 

:: International organisations provide crucial training and scientific and technical advice. 

:: International agreements help ensure the access to and sharing of benefits arising from the commercial use of genetic material (bioprospecting), and the long-term protection of biological and genetic resources.

The United Nations Is A Hub For International Action

The United Nations (UN) is perhaps the organisation with the largest impact and power at the global level. It has 192 member States, and conducts both regular and special meetings to address important environmental topics. Some of the most important summits include:

•• The first UN Environment Conference, held in Stockholm, Sweden in 1972, leading to the establishment of the UN Environment Programme, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya; 

•• The UN Conference on Environment and Development (or the ‘Rio Earth Summit’), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992, which brought together over 179 world leaders and over 2 400 NGO representatives. It was the largest intergovernmental gathering in history, resulting in Agenda 21 (a plan of action for sustainable development), the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the Statement of Forest Principles, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); 

•• The Millennium Summit held in New York, USA in 2000 where the Millennium Declaration, which includes as one of its targets the reduction of biodiversity loss, was adopted. 

In addition to working with nations around the world,the UN system supports partnerships with the public and private sectors and with civil society. The UN consults NGOs and CSOs on policy and programme matters, and hosts briefings, meetings and conferences for NGO representatives. 

Different Kinds Of Agreements To Protect Biodiversity 

Different kinds of international documents have different names, depending on the preferences of their signatories or the importance the instrument is meant to carry. Some of these terms can easily be interchanged; for example, an ‘agreement’ might also be called a ‘treaty’. 

‘Protocols’ or ‘conventions’ are slightly less formal than treaties, because they usually contain additions or amendments to already existing treaties. Occasionally protocols or conventions contain specific obligations, like the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

Governments, NGOs or other organisations can also enter into less formal agreements called ‘declarations’, where the parties typically declare goals which are not usually legally binding. The 1992 Rio Declaration is one example. 

‘Agendas’ are like declarations of principles. They emerge during or as a result of international summits (meetings). They can be adopted during UN meetings, such as the General Assembly meeting in New York, or topic-specific meetings like the Rio Summit. In an agenda, countries establish common interests and priorities for a specified number of years. Agendas are basically work plans the countries set for themselves. 

Finally, a ‘forum’ is a less formal meeting than a summit in which one or more topics that countries would like to address can be discussed openly.

In addition to these formal global actions, there are all sorts of partnerships leading to short- and long-term collaboration among institutions, non-profit organisations and civil society. 

Along with other international organisations, the United Nations also provides a forum where governments can meet, discuss and agree on treaties, conventions and agreements. Such documents are known as MULTILATERAL (involving many participants), and must be signed and ratified by all participating parties to become legally binding. Once a document has been ratified, it becomes international law and replaces national laws.  

The ratification of these international documents (also known as ‘instruments’) is carried out by the congress or parliament of each country. Examples of such instruments are the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Now let’s examine some examples of international agreements and global actions.

Convention On Biological Diversity

The formation of the CBD and its work

One of the agreements adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit was the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the first global agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The CBD has been ratified by an overwhelming majority of countries, which are now legally committed to conserve biological diversity, use it sustainably, and share the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources equitably (fairly). 

The Convention offers governments and decision-makers guidance on how to deal with threats to biological diversity, and set goals, policies and general obligations. The countries are required to develop national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and to integrate them into broader national plans for environment and development. Convention-related activities undertaken by developing countries are eligible for support from the financial mechanism of the Convention: the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The Global Environmental Facility (GEF)

Another important international initiative is the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). It was established to forge international cooperation and to finance actions to address four critical threats to the global environment: biodiversity loss, climate change, degradation of international waters and ozone depletion. It was launched in 1991 as an experimental facility, and was restructured after the 1992 Earth Summit.  

In 2003, two new focal areas were added: assistance for the mitigation and prevention of land degradation and persistent organic pollutants. The GEF Programme is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of the World Bank and UNEP, and executed by the United Nations Office for Project Services. The GEF also has several executing agencies such as the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO ) of the United Nations and projects are supported by the UNEP, UNDP and the World Bank.

The UNDP-GEF team works with other international organisations, bilateral development agencies, national institutions, NGOS, private sector entities and academic institutions to support development projects around the world. By the end of 1999, the GEF had contributed nearly US $ 1 billion for biodiversity projects in more than 120 countries. 

The UNDP, on behalf of its GEF partnership also manages two corporate accounts: the GEF National Dialogue Initiative and the GEF Small Grants Programme, which fosters environmental stewardship while helping people create and strengthen sustainable livelihoods. These small grants (under US $ 50 000) are awarded through steering committees in 73 countries. The results of three such projects are described below. 

1. Testing and disseminating new technology and techniques: transforming wastes into renewable resources – Karaganda, Kazakhstan 

The Karaganda Ecological Museum, an NGO in the district of Karaganda, is reducing contamination of the Nura River by providing a use for the agricultural waste that was being dumped into the river. With support from the GEF Small Grants Programme, the Museum  began using agricultural waste to generate biogas and its byproducts including good quality fertiliser. 

The Museum worked with graduate students from a local technical university to construct a biogas digester. Farmers contributed with agricultural waste and, in exchange, received biogas for cooking and lighting, and fertiliser, which increased their agricultural productivity. Not only did the project reduce the inappropriate disposal of organic wastes, it also mobilised young people to help clean up the riverbanks and spread information about the benefits of biogas.

2.  Building partnerships and networks: private reserves come to the rescue of wildlife – The Cerrado biome, Brazil

According to Conservation International, the Cerrado is one of the most biologically diverse and most threatened biomes on the planet. About 70 percent of the Cerrado has suffered from human pressures of some kind, including the expansion of the Brazilian agricultural frontier for grain production and extensive cattle breeding, and from the unsustainable harvesting of woody vegetation for charcoal production. 

Funatura, an NGO, proposed and established four wildlife sanctuaries on private lands with the participation of other NGOs, such as the Rural Worker’s Union of Formoso Municipality and the Community Association. The project is implementing mechanisms to sustain these private reserves and is disseminating the lessons learned to other landowners.

3. Developing new strategies for sustainable livelihoods in Quebrada Arroyo, Costa Rica: ecotourism for conservation and profit

Since 1992, the GEF Small Grants Programme has supported over 30 ecotourism projects in Costa Rica. The projects are all managed by community organisations, thereby linking the protection of local biodiversity with local income generation. The village of Quebrada Arroyo, located near the Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most visited parks in Costa Rica, is a good example of how ecotourism can protectbiodiversity while generating income for a community. 

In 1999, a local community organisation, the Asociación de Productores de Vainilla, purchased 33 hectares that form part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor and then developed them for ecotourism. Today, the community receives more than 1 000 visitors per year. Women, who formerly had few economic opportunities, now earn money as tour guides. Reports indicate increases in local wildlife populations. The preservation of this area has created an important wildlife corridor connecting the ManuelAntonio National Park with the Los Santos Forest Reserve.