International Day for Biological Diversity
Objective of IDB:
The International Day for Biological Diversity is part of a series of activities to focus
attention on the Convention on Biological Diversity. A wide range of events are
organized globally to increase the understanding of the important role of biodiversity
in our future. The day is an opportunity to promote conservation and sustainable use
of biodiversity.
Theme of International Day for Biological Diversity 2015
'Biodiversity for Sustainable Development'
This year‘s theme reflects the importance of efforts made at all levels to establish a
set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the United Nations Post-
2015 Development Agenda for the period of 2015-2030 and the relevance of
biodiversity for the achievement of sustainable development.
What is CBD?
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is an international environmental
agreement established for the conservation, sustainable use, and fair and equitable
The United Nations had proclaimed May 22 as The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to
increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
UN General Assembly adopted 22 May as IDB, to commemorate the adoption of the text of the
Convention on Biological Diversity at a conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
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sharing of benefits of biological resources. The agreement has been ratified by 193
countries.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was inspired by the world community‘s growing commitment to sustainable development. It is an important global instrument which first evolved through the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the so-called Earth Summit, which was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has 3 main objectives: 1. The conservation of biological diversity 2. The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity 3. The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN)-India The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is implementing a global multi country project on Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), which provides tools and methodological framework for measuring expenditure on biodiversity, which the countries may choose to use in their efforts to mobilise resources required for achieving the global and national biodiversity targets. Launched in October 2012 by UNDP, BIOFIN focuses on national implementation of the methodological framework in the countries that agree to pilot the initiative. P a g e | 25 In India BIOFIN was launched on the day of International Day for Biological Diversity. BIOFIN provides a systematic and flexible approach to identify and mobilise the financial resources needed for implementing the National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) and making progress towards achieving the National Biodiversity Targets (NBT). Through implementation of BIOFIN, it is expected to further enhance awareness and sensitization about significance of biodiversity in development sectors, thereby, inter alia leveraging existing resources to contribute more towards biodiversity, and reducing the financial gap in achieving the NBTs. P a g e | 26 Environmental Democracy Index: EDI is an objective, common index to understand the state of environmental democracy for countries around the world, which is essential to strengthen laws and public participation around environmental issues. The Environmental Democracy Index evaluates environmental democracy in 70 countries, including 75 legal and 24 practice indicators, based on recognised international standards. This index evaluates nations' progress in enacting laws to promote transparency, accountability and citizen engagement in environmental decision making. Environmental democracy in a country is defined as the ease with which citizens can be a meaningful part of the environmental decision-making process. Environmental democracy also implies making environmental information available to the public. Need: People around the world often lack the ability to participate in decisions that impact their environment—yet no independent tool currently exists to measure and map these gaps in rights. Without credible measurement, marginalized groups are unable to advocate for a greater voice in environmental and development decisions and support outcomes that benefit people and the planet. Policymakers who have made commitments to transparency and citizen engagement need credible and accessible tools to track progress and provide guidance. P a g e | 27 The list was launched by Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI) and Access Initiative. India has ranked 24th out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, the US, South Africa, the UK, Hungary, Bulgaria, Panama and Colombia are the top 10 nations. 93 per cent of the assessed countries have established the right to environmental information. 45 per cent do not have strong protections to ensure that access to information is affordable and timely. 46 per cent of the countries assessed do not provide any ambient air quality data online for their capital cities. 14 per cent of the countries have legal mechanisms that help women access courts to obtain redress when their environmental rights are violated. Need for EDI: Dozens of laws on environmental democracy have been passed in recent years— especially on the right to information—yet laws and regulations protecting citizens‘ rights to participate in decisions that impact their environment are too often either toothless, vague, or absent. Public participation opportunities are often confined to environmental impact assessments, and even then far too often the public is only consulted after the decision has been made. When these processes fail to protect the public interest, ensuring justice requires mechanisms for grievance and compensation P a g e | 28 This index is a powerful lever that will help governments to become more transparent and ordinary citizens to advocate for more rights. Features of EDI: EDI is composed of original indicators that measures how well countries' national laws protect environmental democracy rights as well as key areas of implementation. The index will be featured on a web-based platform being developed by The Access Initiative (TAI) and the World Resources Institute (WRI), allowing users to compare countries‘ performances at aggregated and disaggregated levels using an interactive map. Both legal and practice indicators are updated biennially. Benefits: The Environmental Democracy Index will dramatically increase a country‘s ability to identify gaps in environmental rights and key aspects of performance by measuring progress against an international standard: the United Nations Environment Programme‘s 2010 Bali Guidelines on Principle 10. The performance indicators will help users assess, for instance, which capital cities are proactively making air and water quality data available on a regular basis. By establishing a centralized hub of legal analysis and implementation data on procedural rights, EDI will help governments and advocates identify gaps and prioritize reforms. P a g e | 29 EDI will synergize with other ongoing efforts—such as those of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)—to build capacity and political will to implement environmental rights.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was inspired by the world community‘s growing commitment to sustainable development. It is an important global instrument which first evolved through the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the so-called Earth Summit, which was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has 3 main objectives: 1. The conservation of biological diversity 2. The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity 3. The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN)-India The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is implementing a global multi country project on Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), which provides tools and methodological framework for measuring expenditure on biodiversity, which the countries may choose to use in their efforts to mobilise resources required for achieving the global and national biodiversity targets. Launched in October 2012 by UNDP, BIOFIN focuses on national implementation of the methodological framework in the countries that agree to pilot the initiative. P a g e | 25 In India BIOFIN was launched on the day of International Day for Biological Diversity. BIOFIN provides a systematic and flexible approach to identify and mobilise the financial resources needed for implementing the National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) and making progress towards achieving the National Biodiversity Targets (NBT). Through implementation of BIOFIN, it is expected to further enhance awareness and sensitization about significance of biodiversity in development sectors, thereby, inter alia leveraging existing resources to contribute more towards biodiversity, and reducing the financial gap in achieving the NBTs. P a g e | 26 Environmental Democracy Index: EDI is an objective, common index to understand the state of environmental democracy for countries around the world, which is essential to strengthen laws and public participation around environmental issues. The Environmental Democracy Index evaluates environmental democracy in 70 countries, including 75 legal and 24 practice indicators, based on recognised international standards. This index evaluates nations' progress in enacting laws to promote transparency, accountability and citizen engagement in environmental decision making. Environmental democracy in a country is defined as the ease with which citizens can be a meaningful part of the environmental decision-making process. Environmental democracy also implies making environmental information available to the public. Need: People around the world often lack the ability to participate in decisions that impact their environment—yet no independent tool currently exists to measure and map these gaps in rights. Without credible measurement, marginalized groups are unable to advocate for a greater voice in environmental and development decisions and support outcomes that benefit people and the planet. Policymakers who have made commitments to transparency and citizen engagement need credible and accessible tools to track progress and provide guidance. P a g e | 27 The list was launched by Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI) and Access Initiative. India has ranked 24th out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, the US, South Africa, the UK, Hungary, Bulgaria, Panama and Colombia are the top 10 nations. 93 per cent of the assessed countries have established the right to environmental information. 45 per cent do not have strong protections to ensure that access to information is affordable and timely. 46 per cent of the countries assessed do not provide any ambient air quality data online for their capital cities. 14 per cent of the countries have legal mechanisms that help women access courts to obtain redress when their environmental rights are violated. Need for EDI: Dozens of laws on environmental democracy have been passed in recent years— especially on the right to information—yet laws and regulations protecting citizens‘ rights to participate in decisions that impact their environment are too often either toothless, vague, or absent. Public participation opportunities are often confined to environmental impact assessments, and even then far too often the public is only consulted after the decision has been made. When these processes fail to protect the public interest, ensuring justice requires mechanisms for grievance and compensation P a g e | 28 This index is a powerful lever that will help governments to become more transparent and ordinary citizens to advocate for more rights. Features of EDI: EDI is composed of original indicators that measures how well countries' national laws protect environmental democracy rights as well as key areas of implementation. The index will be featured on a web-based platform being developed by The Access Initiative (TAI) and the World Resources Institute (WRI), allowing users to compare countries‘ performances at aggregated and disaggregated levels using an interactive map. Both legal and practice indicators are updated biennially. Benefits: The Environmental Democracy Index will dramatically increase a country‘s ability to identify gaps in environmental rights and key aspects of performance by measuring progress against an international standard: the United Nations Environment Programme‘s 2010 Bali Guidelines on Principle 10. The performance indicators will help users assess, for instance, which capital cities are proactively making air and water quality data available on a regular basis. By establishing a centralized hub of legal analysis and implementation data on procedural rights, EDI will help governments and advocates identify gaps and prioritize reforms. P a g e | 29 EDI will synergize with other ongoing efforts—such as those of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)—to build capacity and political will to implement environmental rights.
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