Journal of Global Resources

Volume 3

July 2016
Page 1-15
ISSN: 2395-3160 (Print), 2455-2445 (Online)

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EVOLUTION OF INTERNATIONAL GOVERNANCE OF BIODIVERSITY

Hasrat Arjjumend1, Konstantia Koutouki2 and Sabiha Alam3
1

Academy of International Studies,
Jamia Millia Islamia Central University, New Delhi, India
E-mail: harjjumend@gmail.com
2

Faculty of Law
Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
E-mail: konstantia.koutouki@umontreal.ca
3

Academy of International Studies
Jamia Millia Islamia Central University, New Delhi, India
E-mail: sabiha.alam@hotmail.com

Abstract: The rapid degradation of biological diversity was a significant catalyst behind themobilization of governments and international organizations to institutionalize the governanceof nature. As a result, international governance structures started evolving in early 20th century
culminating with the establishment of the comprehensive UN Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) in 1993. The CBD has elaborate mechanisms and frameworks for nature
governance on a global level. In addition, the parallel Intergovernmental Science-Policy
Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has gained growing momentum. It is pertinent
to understand the complexities and future of these international regimes meant to govern theprotection and sustainable use of biodiversity globally.
Key words: Governance, Biodiversity, Politics, Conservation, International, Science-Policy
1. Introduction
In the early 20th century the world community realized that the world-wide loss of biodiversity
was increasing at an alarming rate. Scientists, policy makers, governments and internationalorganizations called for the conservation and preservation of biological diversity in particularthat found in developing countries which are in a more precarious position. Discourse on thesovereign rights of the State over biodiversity located within its boundaries and the ways ofprotecting it were becoming common place on the international arena. Various international
environmental law institutions emerged by the 1970s after which UN bodies started taking
shape with mandates of protection for more precise areas such as biodiversity. Finally, theConvention on Biological Diversity (CBD) came into force in 1993, which is the mostcomprehensive international agreement on biodiversity governance1. The CBD has various
1

Other international agreements on biodiversity include: the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES),
the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Convention on Migratory Species, the World Heritage Convention, andthe FAO Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Also of relevance for biodiversity are theConvention to Combat Desertification, the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental

1organs, mechanisms and programmes that collectively deliver governance functions alongwith providing assistance to member governments. Recently, the Intergovernmental SciencePolicy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has emerged as an alternative
or complementary structure of international governance of biodiversity. However, there is anarray of questions surrounding IPBES such as, whether science and politics would support eachother in this new global structure and whether the CBD would continue to function in the samemanner as originally conceived. This article explores the trajectory of the evolution ofinternational governance of biodiversity and discusses the challenges to governance in the newparadigm of science-policy interface.
2. Why International Governance of Biodiversity?
It is well known that the 20th century witnessed an alarming increase in the destruction of
biodiversity. Evaluations vary concerning the quantity of endangered and extinct species.
Some estimates go as high as 200 species disappearing every day (WWF, 2016; Vidal, 2011).
According to the scientific community, the proportion of species loss is higher than ever before
in the history of mankind. It is estimated that around 12.5% of known plant species alone areendangered (Shah, 2014), due to the direct destruction of plants and their habitat. There isalso a growing concern about the introduction by humans of invasive species into specifichabitats followed by the modification of the trophic chain.
According to Visseren-Hamakers (2009), the habitat and land-use changes represent
the most important cause of biodiversity loss for terrestrial ecosystems, while over-exploitationof resources is the main threat to marine biodiversity. Therefore, such adverse impacts are
expected to increase significantly in the future, reflecting the urgent need for an effective
governance framework to curb the expected loss. The urgency for effective protection
becomes more evident when, in addition to the ecosystem services, we consider the social,economic and political aspects of biodiversity. Nilsson (2011) highlighted that the evolution ofinternational governance of biodiversity has undergone many shifts and changes. Given thattoday's governance architecture features a range of regimes and overlapping ways ofaddressing environmental challenges, it is logical to assume that biodiversity governance is an
integral part of understanding global sustainability governance in general by focusing on
issues such as equity, justice, participation and institutional peculiarities (Nilsson, 2011).
Based on core characteristics2 of governance, Pisupati (2012) defined 'biodiversity
governance' as “the manner in which stakeholders participate effectively in policy setting anddecision making that is based on rule of law, is transparent, and is based on equity andaccountability in order to ensure that the strategic vision of conserving biodiversity andecosystems, using them sustainably, and sharing of the benefits are enforced at the national,
regional and global levels for current and future uses.”
3. Evolution of Biodiversity GovernanceThough the conservation of biodiversity is believed to be the phenomenon of ancient era, thedegradation had been taken into cognizance in the 19th century and, resultantly, thegovernance systems started evolving since then. Following is the trajectory of the evolution ofinternational governance of biodiversity:

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Forum on Forests. In addition, a number of agreements on indigenous people’ rights and human rights address
natural and biological resources.
Core Characteristics of Governance: participation in decision-making, rule of law, transparency, equity,
accountability, and strategic vision.

2

3.1 Early Conservation Initiatives
Efforts to curtail biodiversity loss in the 20th century began early on and intensified as time
went on. The North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911 between the US and other countries
providing for the preservation and protection of fur seals was designed to ensure thesustainable use of a shared natural resource that was being threatened by overexploitation(Young and Osherenko, 1993). During the same period, there was discussion about theprotection of nature as well as the role of international agreements for the preservation of theareas and/or species that did not fall under the jurisdiction of a particular country (Conwentz,
1914). Examples include the musk ox of Greenland and the reindeer of Spitsbergen. Later,
there were also the efforts to regulate trade in endangered species, such as the Convention
for the Protection of African Flora and Fauna in 1933. Interestingly, the development of
national parks had started even earlier. The aim of creating national parks was mainly toprotect spectacular landscapes. However, in the European context, the emerging science of
ecology started to enter the discourse during the inter-war period. Subsequently, nationalparks were also seen as spaces where scientific research could take place in relatively
undisturbed ecosystems (Wråkberg, 2006; Kupper, 2009). Factually, protected areas (e.g.
national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, game reserves, protected landscapes, etc.)
also provide basis for conservation as well as the governance paradigms. Generally, thebiodiversity frameworks in these early international efforts did not acknowledge the link
between nature protection and human development (Adams, 1992). Protected areas have also
been described as driven by colonial interests and are controversial to this day in developing
countries (Linnér, 2003).
It should be noted that peoples in the developing world have ancient traditions withregard to the conservation of their natural spaces and biodiversity therein. For instance, theearliest known examples in India of areas being set aside to provide species protection arefrom around 300 BC, during the time of Emperor Ashoka. The administration of Emperor
Ashoka is known to have had a clear policy of exploiting and protecting natural resources. In
subsequent years, many different rulers followed similar policies. Additionally, over 600
different tribes and non-tribal local people who live in and depend on natural resources suchas wild flora and fauna for their subsistence, livelihoods, culture and religion, have also beenpracticing conservation in different ways. Astonishingly, between 100,000 and 150,000 sacredgroves exist in India (Malhotra et al., 2007), which have been conserved and protected by
local communities by applying their spiritual and religious traditions to the benefit of Nature.
According to Bhattacharya (2014), ancient Indian texts like Arthasastra, Sathapatha
Bhramanas, Vedas, Brhat-Samhita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Rajtarangini reflect theconcepts of ecology and conservation in a sustainable manner. The sacred groves (Tapovana)of India were rich in biodiversity and ecological wealth, which was also mentioned in many
ancient Indian documents like Abhigyan Shakuntalam written by Kalidasa. Trees like Banyan(Ficus benghalensis) and fig (Ficus religiosa) were often referred to in history (widely protectedin Asia and Africa) as keystone species. Today as well there are many policies developed inmany parts of the world, for forest and biodiversity conservation, that can be linked directly or
indirectly to traditional knowledge developed in ancient India and further built upon today(Bhattacharya and Arjjumend, 2007).
3.2 Post World War-II Era
Post World War II emerged a new world order that brought forth new way of viewing therelationship between humans and nature (Linnér, 2003). For instance, the United Nations
Scientific Conference on the Conservation and Utilization of Natural Resources (UNSCUR)
in 1949 had focused on food production, population growth and the use of science towards
effective resource management to increase living standards (Aull et al., 1950; McGormick,31991). In fact, at this time resource utilization became a significant global concern placing
science in a central position for providing guidance. As far as biodiversity is concerned,
institutions dealing with its governance were established as early as 1948 (the International
Union for the Protection of Nature – IUPN), which was later renamed as International Union
for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)and is currently known as theWorld Conservation Union (IUCN). During 1943 agencies such as UNESCO and FAO also
supported discussions on governance issues (McGormick, 1991; Christoffersen, 1997).
Parallel to the UNSCUR in 1949, the IUPN and UNESCO organized the International
Technical Conference on Protection of Nature (ITCPN). At a time when the UNSCUR framed
the issue of nature conservation mainly in terms of utilization of natural resources, theparallel conference (ITCPN) focused more on human ecology and education, where ecology
represented a new more holistic conception of nature protection than the previous emphasison species.
The League of Nations (forerunner of the United Nations), held international
discussions on food and agriculture and at the League of Nations conference of 1943, focus
was put on raising living standards and making agriculture more efficient, which later led tothe creation of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Its goal wasto recommend national and international action towards the “conservation of natural
resources". The FAO also aimed to provide a platform where scientific expertise could
contribute to policy decisions (Mayne, 1947).
Between 1945 and 1950, the focus began shifting from terrestrial biodiversity
conservation to the sustainable use of marine environments. After World War II, several
nation states started to extend their jurisdictional claims on waters beyond the three-milelimit from their coast by using customary international law (Nilsson, 2011). The UN
International Law Commission (UNILC) began working in this new domain in 1949 andprepared four draft conventions, which were adopted at the first UN Conference on the Lawof the Sea in 1958. The one that most directly relates to biodiversity governance was theConvention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas. It is an
example of early international law regulating the use of the global commons. Later the
discussions resulted in the legal recognition of exclusive economic zones that replaced open
access governance systems by those controlled by national rights and responsibilities (Hoel,
Sydnes and Ebbin, 2005).
3.3 Ecosystem Science in the Centre of Governance
As mentioned above, ecology played a respectively key role in conservation politics withregards to national parks; but its role took on more and more importance in the 1960s. As
this science was itself in the process of evolution from an earlier focus on species andpopulations to taking a more ecosystemic approach, the International Biological Programme(IBP) emerged as a special programme focusing on ecosystem science between 1968 and1974. It was influenced by the conservation politics of the 1960s that put the science of
ecology and national parks on centre stage. Subsequently, the Man and Biosphere (MAB)
Programme was established in 1971 under UNESCO that brought the resource-sciencepeople link to the forefront. Kwa (1987) describes in the history of International Biological
Programme (IBP) how the science of ecosystem/ecology evolved to include systemsscience-inspired studies of large biomes. In a 10-year review of the MAB programme, Di
Castri et al. (1981) highlight a growing skepticism towards global solutions and global
models.

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3.4 Environment and Development Approach
When the biological sciences were urging immediate attention for emerging environmental
challenges, environment politics were becoming increasingly international. The UN
Conference on the Human Environment in1972, held in Stockholm, is seen as the beginning of
the international environmental law movement. The Conference focused on the environment,
but in the context of the recent decolonization movement in various parts of the world,international power politics and the growing tensions between the global North and global
South, the economic, social and political inequalities were very much present (Campbell,
1973; Selin and Linnér, 2005). Thus the spotlight began to shift from the developed countries
to developing countries resulting in the expression of the concerns of developing countries toan extent not previously seen in environmental politics (Rambach, 1972). Furthermore theStockholm Summit highlighted the link between development and the environment, which wasseen as a milestone in seeking political support for environmental governance.
Building on the Stockholm Summit, the World Conservation Strategy (WCS) in the
1980s featured several concepts that led to new ways of thinking about biodiversity (Nilsson,2011). According to Robinson (1993), this was highly successful as its format was used byover 50 countries to implement their national conservation strategies. The WCS identified
various issues that were linked to conservation and biodiversity governance, ranging from theneed for legal regimes and frameworks to management strategies for biodiversity. In 1976, theIUCN created a programme called Conservation for Development that was intended to link
IUCN’s scientific expertise in conservation with the work of development agencies (Louafi,2007). At the same time, the WCS introduced the concept of sustainable development andbecame an important inspiration for the World Commission on Environment and Development(WCED), also known as the Brundtland Commission (Christoffersen, 1997; Selin and Linnér,
2005). The report of Brundtland Commission, entitled ‘Our Common Future’, has been an
important document which details structures of biodiversity governance proposed by theCommission. In the 1970s, the IUCN established its Environmental Law Centre. Among its toppriorities was to review environmental law texts and to draft new international treaties. Several
biodiversity-relevant conventions can be attributed to these efforts, including CITES(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), RAMSAR (Convention of
Wetlands of International Importance) and the CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity)(Christoffersen, 1997).
3.5 Towards Convention on Biological Diversity
In the mid 1980s, several potential arenas with their own priorities and structures emerged ascontenders to take the lead in international governance of biodiversity. None however proved
to be satisfactory for the decision makers at the time. The FAO was perceived by many OECD
countries as too politicized; UNESCO was not acceptable to developing countries because of
its limited focus on biodiversity reserves; and the IUCN was not seen as credible togovernments since it was not an intergovernmental body. Finally, the UNEP provided an arenathat was acceptable to most and hence took the lead in this area (McGraw, 2002). The road to
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) however was not easy. It started with the “biobattles” of the FAO high in the minds of developing countries (McGraw, 2002). Essentially,
seed production was now big business with implications for biodiversity and biotechnology
safety emerged as a major new political context. Furthermore, the International Undertaking
on Plant Genetic Resources (IU) (later renamed as UPOV – International Union for theProtection of New Varieties of Plants) recognized the legitimate rights of plant breeders and,given its rules for implementation, left the genetic resources of developing countries without
protection. According to Svensson (1993), the developing countries were firmly resolved toaddress this state of affairs.

5The negotiations for the CBD resulted in an interesting shift in the way States viewed
biological resources. In a so-called compromise between the Global North and the Global
South, biodiversity and genetic resources were no longer to be thought of as a global
common. Instead, the States were given exclusive sovereignty over genetic resources andbiodiversity. This was a significant turning point in the biodiversity governance discourse inwhich developing countries felt marginalized in the climate negotiations and hence were
determined to secure their interests in the CBD. This was possible since here they had a goodbargaining position due to the fact that most of the genetic resources contemplated were foundwithin their national territories. Many developing countries had apprehensions that the CBD
would, like other UN bodies, also force them to take action based on assessments dominatedby scientists from the Global North, making it difficult for developing countries to oppose(Svensson, 1993). In this manner, the industrialized countries had to agree to clauses about
benefit-sharing, technology transfer and funding. The developing countries, on the other hand,
had to accept responsibility for conserving and using their resources sustainably as well as notrefusing access to the genetic resources if certain criteria were met (Koester, 1997; McGraw,
2002). Within the CBD a Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)
was created, which introduced a new paradigm in biodiversity governance focusing on the
responsibility of each economic sector rather than on reserves. A glimpse of the history of
CBD evolution has been illustrated in Table.1 below.
Table.1: Trajectory of Evolution of Convention on Biological Diversity
Dates and Venue
16 - 18 November 1988
Geneva, Switzerland
19 - 23 February 1990
9 - 13 July 1990
14 - 17 November 1990
Nairobi, Kenya
19 - 23 November 1990
Nairobi, Kenya
25 February - 6 March 1991
Nairobi, Kenya
24 June - 3 July 1991
Madrid, Spain
24 June - 3 July 1991
Madrid, Spain

MeetingFirst session of Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts on
Biological Diversity
Second Session of the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts on
Biological Diversity
Third Session of the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts on
Biological Diversity
Sub-Working Group on Biotechnology

First Session of the Ad Hoc Working Group of Legal andTechnical Experts on Biological Diversity
Ad Hoc Working Group of Legal and Technical Experts on
Biological Diversity
Ad Hoc Working Group of Legal and Technical Experts on
Biological Diversity
Third Negotiating Session / First Meeting of theIntergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Convention
on Biological Diversity
23 September - 3 October 1991
Fourth Negotiating Session / Second Meeting of the
Nairobi, Kenya
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Convention
on Biological Diversity
25 November - 4 December 1991
Fifth Negotiating Session / Third Meeting of the
Geneva, Switzerland
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Convention
on Biological Diversity
6 - 15 February 1992
Sixth Negotiating Session / Fourth Meeting of the
Nairobi, Kenya
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Convention
on Biological Diversity
11 - 19 May 1992
Seventh Negotiating Session / Fifth Meeting of the
Nairobi, Kenya
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Convention
on Biological Diversity
20 - 21 May 1992
Conference for the Adoption of the Convention on Biological
Nairobi, Kenya
Diversity
Source & Courtesy: Secretariat of CBD (https://www.cbd.int/history)6

3.5.1 Architecture of Convention on Biological Diversity
Under the auspices of the UNEP, the Ad Hoc Working Group on Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee for a Convention on Biological Diversity culminated its work on 22 May
1992 with the Nairobi Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on
Biological Diversity. The Convention was opened for signature on 5 June 1992 at the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio "Earth Summit"). It remained
open for signature until 4 June 1993, by which time it had received 168 signatures. The
Convention entered into force on 29 December 1993, 90 days after the 30th ratification. As oftoday3 there are 168 signatories and 196 Parties of the Convention. The first session of theConference of the Parties (COP1) was held on 28 November – 9 December 1994 in the
Bahamas. So far twelve Conferences of the Parties have been concluded.
The CBD’s objectives are: “to conserve biological diversity, to use biological diversity ina sustainable fashion, and to share the benefits of biological diversity fairly and equitably.” The
Convention is the first global agreement that addresses all aspects of biological diversity:
genetic resources, species and ecosystems. It recognizes, for the first time, that theconservation of biological diversity is “a common concern for all humanity” and an integral partof the development process. To achieve its objectives, the Convention follows in the footstepsof the Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development and encourages scientific andtechnological cooperation between countries, access to genetic resources and the transfer ofclean environmental technologies (CBD, 1993). The CBD links traditional conservation efforts
to the economic goal of using biological resources sustainably. The CBD emphasizes many of
the good governance principles set out above, providing valuable guidance for effective
governance of biodiversity. The ecosystem approach seeks to balance different interests insociety including local and global values, conservation and development (Swiderska et al.,2009). Its first two principles are particularly notable in terms of the preceding discussion on
biodiversity governance: (1) that the objectives of natural resource management are a matterof societal choice; and (2) that management should be decentralized to the lowest appropriate
level (Swiderska et al., 2009). It is pertinent to visually represent the organs and initiatives of
the CBD to date. Various organs of the CBD are depicted in Figure.1 below.
Leadership of the CBD rests with the Conference of Parties (COP), an ultimate
authority, which reviews progress under the Convention, identifies new priorities, and sets
work plans for members. The COP has established 7 thematic programmes of work: (a)Agricultural Biodiversity, (b) Dry and Sub-Humid Lands Biodiversity, (c) Islands Biodiversity,(d) Marine and Coastal Biodiversity, (e) Forest Biodiversity, (f) Mountain Biodiversity, and (g)Inland Waters Biodiversity. The CBD Secretariat, based in Montreal (Canada), operates under
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Its main functions are to organize
meetings, draft documents, assist member governments in the implementation of the
programme of work, coordinate with other international organizations, and collect anddisseminate information.

3

https://www.cbd.int/information/parties.shtml accessed on 2 March 2016.

7

Parties andNational
Focal Points
Clearing
House
Mechanis
ms
Advisory
BoardsSecretariat

Other Conventions
and Organizationsof UN Bodies

Regional
Meetings

Cartagena
ProtocolNagoya-Kuala Lumpur
Supplementary Protocol
on Liability and Redress
for Bio-safety

Conferenc
e ofParties(COP)

NagoyaProtocolFinancial
Mechanisms

SBSTTA
Working Groups on Article 8(j)Working Group on Review of
Implementation

ExpertFigure.1: Illustrated Diagram of CBD Organs
3.5.2 Protocols of the Convention
Cartagena Protocol: The Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety of the Convention, also known as
the Bio-safety Protocol, was adopted in January 2000 and entered into force on 11 September
2003. The Bio-safety Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks
posed by living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology. It requiresthat products developed through new technologies must be based on the ‘precautionary
principle’ while calling for a balance between public health and economic benefits. It will, forexample, let countries ban imports of a genetically modified organism (GMO) if they feel there
not enough scientific evidence that the product is safe and requires exporters to label
shipments containing genetically modified commodities such as corn or cotton.
Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress for Bio-safety:
The issue of elaborating rules on liability and redress for damage resulting from living modified
organisms was under consideration internationally both before and after the adoption of the
Bio-safety Protocol. So, the Article 27 of Protocol required the COP serving as the meeting of
the Parties (COP-MOP) to the Bio-safety Protocol to adopt a process with respect to theappropriate elaboration of international rules and procedures in the field of liability and redressfor damages resulting from trans-boundary movements of living modified organisms (LMOs).

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Nagoya Protocol: The Nagoya Protocol on Access & Benefit Sharing (ABS) was
adopted on 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan and that entered into force on 12 October 2014
after 53rd instrument of ratification. Its objective is the fair and equitable sharing of benefits
arising from the utilization of genetic resources, thereby contributing to the conservation andsustainable use of biodiversity. After the Nagoya Protocol came into existence, three meetingsof Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol on Access & Benefit Sharing (INCP1, ICNP-2 and ICNP-3) have taken place so far, as well as two general body meetings during
COP 11 and COP 12.
3.5.3 Other Bodies of the Convention
An elaborate functional structure of the CBD is shown in Figure.2. Some of the main bodies
are described below.
Subsidiary Body for Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA): By
virtue of CBD Article 25 an open-ended intergovernmental scientific advisory body known as
SBSTTA was established to provide with timely scientific advice relating to the implementationof the Convention.
Working Group on Article 8(j): This Working Group was created to expand on the CBD
recognition of the dependency of indigenous and local communities (ILCs) on biodiversity andtheir role in conserving and developing bio-resources. It was for this reason that Article 8(j)was added to the Convention. The Working Group oversees all considerations relating to the
traditional knowledge of ILCs in the various programmes of work under the Convention.
Working Group on Protected Areas: Conference of the Parties established an Ad-Hoc
Open-ended Working Group on Protected Areas in February 2004 to support and review the
implementation of the programme of work on biodiversity conservation in protected areas.
There are various other instruments and mechanisms through which the CBD
accomplished its role of governing biodiversity conservation worldwide. Examples include:
Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, Aichi Biodiversity Targets Task Force, National
Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP), National Reports, Clearing-House
Mechanism, South-South Cooperation, and Consortium of Scientific Partners. CBD also works inclose coordination of biodiversity-related other Conventions.
4. IPBES: An Emerging New Institution of Biodiversity Governance
From the beginning days of biodiversity governance, the scientific community made it clearthat they wanted to be active participants in the multilateral discussions. Although there is still
tension between political entities and the scientific community there have also been efforts tomove science more to the forefront of biodiversity decision making (UNEP, 2010). In 1995, thebiodiversity science community came out with the report titled “Global Biodiversity
Assessment” (Heywood, 1995) but the debate about SBSTTA’s role as scientific advisor andits scientific integrity continued leading to a situation where the SBSTTA has generally carriedout its work without any collectively organized participation by the scientific community(Nilsson, 2011).

9

Financial Mechanisms
Global Environment
Facility

Cooperation withother organizations

GEF Council
Memorandum(MOC/MOU)

Rosters of Experts
GEF Secretariat
ABS Clearing-House
Mechanism

Liaison Groups

Inter-Agency Task
Force

Implementing/Executing Agencies

Internal Advisory
Committees
Other Financial
Institutions
Article 21, para-4

Secretariat

United Nations

Parties/ National Focal Point

Other International
Organizations

COP/
COP-MOP
Regional Meetings

Subsidiary Bodies
Bodies of the Convention
Working Groups
Article 8(j)Bodies of Protocol

SBSTTAGEF Council

Ad Hoc TechnicalExpert Groups

GEF Secretariat

Access andBenefit Sharing

Implementing/Executing Agencies

Protected Areas

Review of the
Implementation of
the Convention

Figure.2: Elaborate Functional Structure of CBD (Adapted from CBD)

10

During the international conference on biodiversity (“Biodiversity, Science andGovernance”) held in 2005 in Paris (France), the concept of an international expert panel on
biodiversity (described as the “biodiversity’s equivalent to the IPCC4”) was developed
considerably. For two years consultations were held globally on the International Mechanism of
Scientific Expertise on Biodiversity (IMoSEB). In Bonn (Germany) in 2008, the Conference of theParties (COP9) to the CBD at its ninth meeting voted a resolution in favour of establishing anexpert group, known as the Ad-Hoc Intergovernmental and Multi-Stakeholder Meeting on an
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services(IPBES). IDDRI5 assisted in the preparation of the first meeting of this expert group, which washeld in Putrajaya (Malaysia) in November 2008. This consultative process revealed the need to
conduct an analysis of the current science-policy interface in terms of biodiversity
protection. Two more Ad-Hoc Intergovernmental and Multi-Stakeholder Meetings on IPBES
were convened, respectively, in Nairobi (Kenya) in October 2009 (IPBES-II) and in Busan (South
Korea) in June 2010 (IPBES-III). In particular, IPBES-III delegates eventually adopted the Busanoutcome “whereby they agreed that an IPBES should be established, should collaborate withexisting initiatives on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and should be scientificallyindependent" (Monfreda et al., 2010).
On the 21st of December 2010, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on
establishing IPBES6. In this resolution, the UN General Assembly invite the Governing Councilof the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), without prejudice to the final
institutional arrangements of the platform, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the CBD, andother relevant international, regional and sub-regional organizations7, “…to convene a plenary
meeting providing for the full and effective participation of all Member States, in particular
representatives from developing countries, to consider modalities and arrangements to fully
operationalize the platform at the earliest opportunity”. The plenary, which should be the
IPBES’ decision-making body, is open to participation from all Member States of the United
Nations and to regional economic integration organizations. It was also settled that theintergovernmental organizations and other relevant stakeholders should participate in theplenary as observers.
So far 4 plenary of IPBES have taken place. The first meeting of the Platform's Plenary(IPBES-1) was held in Bonn, Germany from 21 to 26 January 2013, hosted by the Governmentof Germany. The Second meeting of the Platform's Plenary (IPBES-2) was held in Antalya,
Turkey, from 9 to 14 December 2013, hosted by the Government of Turkey. The third session of
the Platform's Plenary (IPBES-3) was concluded between 12 and 17 January 2015, in Bonn,
Germany. The fourth plenary has been conducted between 22 and 28 February 2016 in Kuala
Lumpur (Malaysia). As of today8, the IPBES has 80 government members.
5. Implications of New Biodiversity GovernanceAccording to the UNEP (2013), in order to make IPBES successful, the decision makers needscientifically credible and independent information that takes into account the complex
4
5
6

7
8

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Institut du Développement Durable et des Relations Internationals (IDDRI)
UNEP press release, Biodiversity year ends on high hope as UN General Assembly backs resolution for an'IPCC-for Nature', available at:
http://unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=653&ArticleID=6872&l=en
Such organizations include: UNESCO, UNDP, FAO
http://www.ipbes.net/about/members, accessed on 2 March 2016.

11

relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem services, and people. Accordingly, they alsoneed effective methods to interpret the scientific information in order to make informed
decisions. Simultaneously, the scientific community too needs to understand the needs ofdecision makers better. In essence, the dialogue between the scientific community,
governments, and other stakeholders on biodiversity and ecosystem services needs to bestrengthened. However, according to Turnhout et al. (2012), the IPBES must draw on a muchbroader range of knowledge and stakeholders. Currently, IPBES provisional work programme
and technical background documents suggest that the platform is aimed to serve as a clearing
house that guarantees the global availability of all biodiversity knowledge that has beenstandardized and scientifically validated. It is believed that this is attractive to elite actors suchas natural scientists and national governments, but it excludes many important stakeholders,e.g. indigenous people, businesses, farmers, community partnerships and fisher folks.
Moreover, the IPBES has not proposed a single scientific definition of biodiversity. The
platform has also not recognized various ways of living with and knowing the nature thathuman cultures have developed. Thus, it is promoting a predominantly science-based
understanding of biodiversity, with ecosystem services taking centre stage. This focus reduces
biodiversity to an object of exploitation and runs the risk of bringing it even further into asystem of market exchange.
Biodiversity politics have a long and tumultuous history and go beyond theoversimplified preservation versus conservation for sustainable use paradigm. More recently,
concerns about intellectual property rights over genetic resources inform to a large extent theecosystem management and ecosystem services discussions (Nilsson, 2011). Furthermore, awider range of actors, including NGO’s and other international organizations are challenging
the scientific model as the only source of credible explanation of how biodiversity works and its
importance. Hence, where biodiversity is concerned the scientific community hold a lessprivileged position than it has had in the climate regime even though the biodiversity science
community is much less coherent than the climate modeling community that brought climatechange into the policy arena (Worster 1994). Since there are already numbers of competing
discourses, it appears unlikely that an organizational change in biodiversity governance would
suddenly change the playing field to give science a stronger voice in biodiversity politics.
According to Nilsson (2011), this does not imply that the creation of a new body for science
policy dialogue is without value. However, the value may rest more in creating an arena forlearning in both directions at the science-policy interface than science directly informing policy(Nilsson, 2011). The history of biodiversity governance shows that previous efforts at sciencepolicy dialogues have in fact been important for including broader societal concerns in thediscussion of conservation. Not long ago the fourth plenary of IPBES has concluded with theremarks “there will be plenty of opportunities to continue reinforcing IPBES’ role as a sciencepolicy interface, but that difficult work is ahead, particularly in making the global assessment
relevant at the country level and ensuring that knowledge gaps, including the vast gap on
diverse values, are filled” (ENB, 2016).
6. Summary and Conclusion
The third report of the Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO3) revealed that the trends in indicators
suggest that the state of biodiversity is declining, the pressure upon it is increasing, and thebenefits derived by humans from biodiversity are diminishing, all while the responses toaddressing its loss are increasing (SCBD, 2010). Poor people in developing countries are
particularly vulnerable to the resulting loss in critical ecological services. Barbier (2009)
recommends that we re-orient global discussions on institutional strengthening and governance at
the UNCSD around the experiences and needs of the local people. Various scholars articulated arange of issues related to governance of biodiversity, ranging from historical perspectives,
evolution of the concept, and links to current global discussions on science-policy interface to the12role of stakeholders, including business, in biodiversity governance (Nilsson, 2011; Smith, 2009;
Koetz et al., 2011; Bled, 2009; Soberson and Sarukhan, 2009). It is recognized that the CBD isthe first global agreement that addresses all aspects of biological diversity: genetic resources,
species and ecosystems. However, we can observe limited opportunities for local biodiversity
managers (i.e. indigenous people and local communities) to participate in international policy,
while life science lobbies are quite influential in the processes. The representation ofindigenous people and local communities (ILCs) has been limited in international governance(Koutouki, 2010).
Global governance of biodiversity point to the emergence of new science-policy
paradigm interconnected with contemporary geopolitical equations. When international politics
and state powers have to decide action to take in relation to conserving/utilizing biodiversity,
the scientific community backed by western organizations led to the creation of a new global
governance institution, IPBES. So, two parallel global institutions exist now: one, the CBD,
dominated by governments and geopolitical entities and second, the IPBES, dominated byscientific community with some support from States. Although the latter regime is yet to evolve
fully, some conflict between the two regimes cannot be ruled out. In the near future, it would
be useful to understand, analyse and characterize the inter-institutional issues on various
levels, and to observe how international diplomacy handles and resolves the emerging issues.
7. Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the support for language corrections provided by Dr. Valentyna
Savchyn, Associate Professor, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Lviv National University of
Ukraine.
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