International governance of biodiversity

Within the realm of International Biodiversity Governance, IDDRI explores to what extent, and on which issues, the international scale is most relevant, given its well-known weaknesses and strengths.

• Concretely, IDDRI first continues to contribute to the international dialogue on how to establish and operationalise the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), which may become the future “IPCC for biodiversity”.
• Second, IDDRI feeds and supports the overall implementation of the Nagoya biodiversity outcomes with special interest for the strategic plan for 2011-2020, known as the Aichi Targets and, in particular, target 3 on incentives (including subsidies) harmful to biodiversity, target 11 on protected areas and target 20 on mobilizing financial resources.
• Third, with the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) in October 2010, IDDRI works on the implementation and further development of the international equity principle of benefit sharing under the CBD as well as under other relevant instruments and processes. Building on its previous work on international ABS negotiations, the Biodiversity Programme analyses and promotes action-oriented research on the potential synergies and implications of the Nagoya Protocol on addressing key development challenges. These challenges include: promoting agricultural research for food security; establishing responsible research, science, innovation and technology policies in relation to ABS standards for the generation and diffusion of global public goods; promoting public health; recognising and implementing the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities to their genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge; and facilitating North-South dialogues that will shape the post-2010 implementation of the CBD. IDDRI also considers the needs and modalities for a benefit-sharing mechanism for marine biodiversity and, in particular, marine genetic resources, including in areas beyond national jurisdiction, through the implementation of existing instruments and the possible development of a multilateral agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.