International treaties and conventions

Convention on Biological Diversity, Nagoya Protocol, ITPGRFA, ... Find on this page free downloads of international protocols and conventions.

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

The Convention on Biological Diversity , or CBD, is an international treaty, presented at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992, which aims to establish a legislative framework to the issues of protection and exploitation of biodiversity. This is the first international text defining biodiversity as a fragile entity, common to all humanity and that needs to be preserved. To date over 180 countries are signatories to the CBD, although some - Paris acting bad example - do have not yet ratified.

Protection of biodiversity, sustainable use of it and "the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources" are the main themes of this convention. 

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The Cartagena protocol

The Cartagena Protocol (Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biodiversity)  is an international agreement fitting into the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It offers signatory states a legal framework for the use of biotechnologies and/or their products, offering the introduction of the precautionary principle.

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Nagoya protocol

Commonly called "Nagoya Protocol", this international agreement came into force on 12 October 2014 has real name "Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity".

The aim of this protocol is to avoid the theft of ancestral or cultural knowledge as well as the misappropriation of genetic resources. For this, it provides an international legal framework for the "fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources." The Nagoya Protocol is part of the wider framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity. 

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ITPGRFA

ITPGRFA or International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, is an international agreement praised by the FAO wich came into force in June 2004. It provides a legal framework for exchanges of biological resources when food safety issues are affected.

The aim of this treaty is to promote the safeguarding of agricultural biodiversity by supervising its sustainable recovery. It defines the way sharing arrangements of benefits arising from their use. The ITPGRFA is a treaty operated in accordance with the principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity .

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