Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

• It is a legally binding treaty to conserve biodiversity has been in force since 1993.
• There are 196 parties and 168 signatories to the CBD, including India.
• Nearly all countries have ratifi ed it (notably, the US has signed but not ratifi ed).
• The CBD Secretariat is based in Montreal, Canada and it operates under the United Nations Environment Programme.
• On 29 January 2000, the COP 5 to the CBD adopted the Cartage Protocol on Biosafety. It came into force on 11 September 2003. ” The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefit ts Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the CBD was adopted on 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan at COP10. It entered into force on 12 October 2014.
• The COP-10 also adopted a ten-year framework known as Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011- 2020”, which provides a set of 20 ambitious yet achievable targets, collectively known as the Aichi Targets for biodiversity.
• India enacted the Biological Diversity Act in 2002 for giving effect to the provisions of the CBD.

In News

• India submitted its sixth national report (NR6) to the CBD during the inaugural session of the meeting of the State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) organized by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA).
• The NR6 provides an update of progress in achievement of 12 National Biodiversity Targets (NBT) developed under the Convention process in line with the 20 global Aichi biodiversity targets. Briefl y, the Report highlights that while India has exceeded/ overachieved two NBTs, it is on track to achieve eight NBTs and in respect of the remaining two NBTs also, India is striving to meet the targets by the stipulated time of 2020.