| The Sustainable Use Specialist Group is working with Fauna & Flora International on a project examining the decisions on sustainable use made by the biodiversity-related Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). The output will be an electronic database that will note the overlaps and potential synergies between MEA decisions on sustainable use.
This piece of work is part of a broader project initiated by UNEP, supported by the Belgian government and implemented by IUCN and UNEP-WCMC. Overall, the project is intended to promote the more coherent implementation of biodiversity-related MEAs, by providing structured information on MEA decisions to national agencies responsible for implementation. In addition to sustainable use, the other three modules being developed are on Inland Waters, Invasive Alien Species and Climate Change.
There are some differences in language between the MEAs. Where CBD talks of ‘sustainable use’, Ramsar employs the concept of ‘wise use’ and in CITES there is the notion of trade that is ‘not detrimental’ to the survival of the species. However, not only is there considerable overlap between these concepts, but in recent years the conventions have been moving towards shared terminology and approaches. This trend appears set to continue. In 2004 the Conference of the Parties to CBD adopted the Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines for the Sustainable Use of Biodiversity. Later in the same year the Conference of the Parties to CITES urged the Parties to make use of those Principles and Guidelines in making non-detriment findings. In November 2005 the Parties to Convention on Migratory Species instructed their Scientific Council to examine the applicability and usefulness of the Principles and Guidelines for improving the conservation status of relevant migratory species.
The first draft of the modules has been subject to a peer review, and was assessed at the first meeting of the project Steering Committee in November 2005. A second draft is currently under preparation. This will include, on a trial basis, decisions from regional biodiversity-related agreements in Africa and Europe. A third and final draft of the modules will be completed in April 2006.
November 2005. Barney Dickson is Director of Policy at Fauna & Flora International and a member of SUSG. He is at barney.dickson fauna-flora.org
Sustainable, January 2006, contents page
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