UN Convention on Biological Diversity

Biological diversity - or biodiversity - is the term given to the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns it forms. The biodiversity we see today is the fruit of billions of years of evolution shaped by natural processes and, increasingly, by the influence of humans. It forms the web of life of which we are an integral part and upon which we so fully depend. This diversity is often understood in terms of the wide variety of plants, animals and microorganisms. Biodiversity also includes genetic differences within each species - for example, between varieties of crops and breeds of livestock. Yet another aspect of biodiversity is the variety of ecosystems such as those that occur in deserts, forests, wetlands, mountains, lakes, rivers, and agricultural landscapes. In each ecosystem, living creatures, including humans, form a community, interacting with one another and with the air, water, and soil around them.

It is the combination of life forms and their interactions with each other and with the rest of the environment that has made Earth a uniqely habitable place for humans. Biodiversity provides a large number of goods and services that sustain our lives.

At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders agreed on a comprehensive strategy for "sustainable development" - meeting our needs while ensuring that we leave a healthy and viable world for future generations. One of the key agreements adopted at Rio was the Convention on Biodiversity.

The Convention on Biodiversity is the recognition of international community of importance to follow the principles of sustainable development. The main objective of Convention is biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biodiversity components, joint utilization of genetic resources, including free access to genetic resources and technologies, providing of necessary funding.

According to the objectives of conventions, the biodiversity conservation is one of major prerequisites for achieving sustainable development in global scale. The problem of biodiversity conservation is especially difficult in extreme natural conditions and highly utilized area by human. This is relevant to the Republic of Armenia. Armenia signed the Convention on Biodiversity on June 13, 1992 and ratified it on May 14, 1993.

In October 1997, the Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia, supported by GEF commenced the development of Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan as well as First National Report, in accordance with articles 6, 8, 26 of Convention on Biodiversity. The one-year project was finalized with presentation of First National Report on Biodiversity, where the current situation of biodiversity use and conservation in Armenia was presented.

Fore more information on the project please visit: www.biodiv.nature-ic.am

For more information on the Convention on Biodiversity please visit: www.biodiv.org