Analysis of the decisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity: a tool for use at the national level

The document reviews 233 CBD decisions, categorizing them into five programmatic areas: Community Forest Management (CFM), Biodiversity, Rights, Financing (False Solutions), and Governance. It specifically details 'Principles and Declarations' and other relevant decisions that support a rights-based approach to conservation and warn against the 'financialisation of nature'.

• The Ecosystem Approach, refined at COP 7, is a strategy for integrated management of land, water, and living resources that emphasizes decentralization and the inclusion of indigenous and local knowledge.
• The Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines for the Sustainable Use of Biodiversity establish that local users must be sufficiently empowered by rights to be responsible for resource use and that perverse incentives undermining conservation should be removed.
• The CBD's Expanded Programme of Work on Forest Biological Diversity recognizes the vital role of women in indigenous and local communities regarding the sustainable use of non-timber resources.
• The CBD advocates for a precautionary approach regarding the release of genetically modified trees and the use of biomass for energy, citing potential negative impacts on forest biodiversity and the livelihoods of indigenous and local communities.
• A rights-based approach is supported by several CBD guidelines, including the Akwé: Kon Guidelines, which require prior informed consent for development projects affecting sacred sites or traditional lands.
• The Mo’Otz Kuxtal Voluntary Guidelines aim to prevent the illegal appropriation of traditional knowledge and emphasize respect for community protocols and customary laws to ensure free, prior and informed consent.
• The Rutzolijirisaxik Voluntary Guidelines facilitate the repatriation of traditional knowledge held by government departments, universities, and museums to support cultural and knowledge restoration.
• The document argues that 'false solutions' involve the 'financialisation of nature', where market-based mechanisms and economic valuation of ecosystem services are used to allow business-as-usual while ignoring the root causes of biodiversity loss.
• The CBD has increasingly focused on integrating biodiversity into the private sector, though the document critiques this as 'greenwashing' if it does not limit production based on ecosystem resilience.
• The CBD recognizes the interlinkage between biological diversity and human health, noting that biodiversity provides essential ecosystem services and options for adapting to climate change.

APA

Spataro, E., & Rojas, I. (2020). Analysis of the decisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity: a tool for use at the national level. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Analysis-of-the-decisions-of-the-Convention-on-Biological-Diversity_Friends-of-the-Earth-International_English.pdf

Chicago

Spataro, Emilio, and Isaac Rojas. Analysis of the decisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity: a tool for use at the national level. Friends of the Earth International, 2020. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Analysis-of-the-decisions-of-the-Convention-on-Biological-Diversity_Friends-of-the-Earth-International_English.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Spataro |first1=Emilio |last2=Rojas |first2=Isaac |title=Analysis of the decisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity: a tool for use at the national level |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=December 2020 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Analysis-of-the-decisions-of-the-Convention-on-Biological-Diversity_Friends-of-the-Earth-International_English.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{spataro2020analysis, author = {Spataro, Emilio and Rojas, Isaac}, title = {{Analysis of the decisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity: a tool for use at the national level}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Analysis-of-the-decisions-of-the-Convention-on-Biological-Diversity_Friends-of-the-Earth-International_English.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }