Download Global Strategy for Plant Conservation

Global Strategy for Plant
Conservation
In April 2002, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted
a Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. The strategy was ground
breaking because the CBD set quantitative, although non-binding,
conservation targets and a deadline for their attainment (2010).
Although many of the targets have not been achieved within this
timeframe, the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC)
has had a profound effect in motivating and uniting the different
individuals and organisations involved in plant conservation across
the world.
A revised GSPC was debated by delegates at COP10 in Nagoya
Japan in October 2010 and we hope that this ground-breaking
strategy and its sound framework will be used to direct and
galvanise global plant conservation action in the future.
The GSPC has 16 targets arranged under five objectives that
deal not only with identifying and conserving rare species, but
the full range of in-situ and ex-situ conservation activities,
plant conservation in production lands, sustainable use of plant
products, improving education and awareness of plants, and
increasing capacity for plant conservation.
Plantlife International
is a member of the
GSPC, which was
established to support
the implementation of
the GSPC. We work with
national partners and
local community groups
within its Medicinal
Plant Programme to
develop local solutions to
plant conservation and
development concerns.
This programme has
produced 14 case studies
which could be used
as the basis for similar
projects in other regions.
Target 5: Conserving Important Plant Areas (IPAs)
Plantlife International and IUCN (The World Conservation Union) are lead partners for the
implementation of Target 5 of the GSPC which calls for protection and effective management of
the world’s
most important areas for plants.
Targets 12 and 13
Targets 12 and 13 concern using plant diversity sustainably and halting the decline of indigenous
knowledge and practices that support sustainable livelihoods
More information and reading
l CBD Global Strategy for Plant Conservation
https://www.cbd.int/gspc/
l Global Partnership for Plant Conservation
http://www.plants2010.org
l Global Strategy for Plant Conservation http://www.plantlife.
org.uk/publications/global_strategy_for_plant_conservation
Other international policies
In addition to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) and the
European Strategy for Plant Conservation (ESPC), there are many other policies
and strategies which target plant and nature conservation
Carta di Siracusa
This is a declaration of the leaders G8 (2009) on the needs for agreement on biodiversity
conservation, low carbon economies, actions on climate change and measures to improve
children’s health post 2010. Click here to download a copy.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
The Convention on Biological Diversity is the main international convention for conserving
biodiversity. It has three main strands: to conserve biological diversity; to use biological
diversity in a sustainable fashion; and to share the benefits of biological diversity fairly and
equitably. In addition, there is the supplementary agreement of the CBD, the Cartagena Protocol
on Biosafety, to protect biodiversity from the potential risks from living modified organisms
resulting from modern biotechnology — i.e. genetically modified (GM) organisms. The CBD also
adopted the GSPC, which is currently being revised to run until 2020.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species is the main international
convention that governs the trade in endangered species, both plant and animal.
Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
This international forum of science experts, co-ordinated by the United Nations Environment
Programme, has recently been established and will act as an interface between science and
policy for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
RAMSAR
The RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands of International Importance was agreed in the Iranian city
of Ramsar in 1971, and is the main international conservation agreement for protecting rapidly
disappearing wetland habitats. It maintains a register and database of RAMSAR sites.
Other international
policies continued
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity is an international initiative aimed at highlighting
the global economic benefits of biodiversity and the growing costs of biodiversity loss and
degradation. Several TEEB reports, sponsored by the German Government, the European
Commission and the UN, are available to download, including ‘The Economics of Ecosystems
and Biodiversity, an Interim Report’, ‘TEEB and Climate Change Report’, ‘TEEB for Policy Makers
Report’ and ‘TEEB for Business Report’, with more planned.
UN policies
Goal 7 of the UN Millennium Development Goals calls for environmental sustainability and the
integration of the principles of sustainable development into the policies and programmes
of individual countries. The loss of environmental resources, particularly plants, affects the
poorest communities in the world most directly, and any attempts to eradicate poverty must
engage with this issue. In addition, the UN also co-ordinates activities under the Convention to
Combat Desertification and the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The UN also
co-ordinates activities under the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean
Sea from pollution.
More information and reading
l Carta di Siracusa
https://www.cbd.int/doc/
l Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
https://www.cbd.int
l Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES)
https://cites.org
l Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform
on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
http://www.ipbes.net
l RAMSAR
http://www.ramsar.org
l The Economics of Ecosystems and
Biodiversity (TEEB)
http://www.teeb.org
l UN policy: Framework Convention on Climate
Change http://unfccc.int/2860.php