ABSTRACT

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was one of the most important results from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also called the Earth Summit, that was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. The CBD is a legally binding international instrument with three main objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of the genetic resources.