The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and its sister conventions, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, all aim to halt or mitigate the deterioration of the ecological processes on which life depends. Sustainable land management (SLM) is fundamental to achieving the goals of all three Conventions. Changes in land ...

Working with genetic resources and associated data requires greater attention since the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) came into force in October 2014. Biologists must ensure that they have legal clarity in how they can and cannot use the genetic resources on which they carry out research. Not only must they work within the spirit in the Convention on Biological Diversity (...

Dr. Annabelle Duncan, a microbiologist, has served as Australia’s scientific advisor to the VEREX and Ad Hoc Working Groups of the BWC in Geneva, and on several U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM) biological inspections in Iraq. Dr. Kenneth G. Johnson, also a microbiologist, has served as Canada’s scientific advisor to the Ad Hoc Working Group on the BWC in Geneva and also has participated in UNSC...

Abstract Humanity is at a crossroads in addressing biodiversity loss. Several assessments have reported on the weak compliance with Aichi Biodiversity Targets by parties to Convention Biological Diversity (CBD). To address this lack of compliance, challenges implementing and enforcing CBD obligations must be understood. Key implementation are identified through content analysis policy documents...

The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention prohibits the development, production, and stockpiling of biological weapons agents or delivery devices for anything other than peaceful purposes. A protocol currently in the final stages of negotiation adds verification measures to the convention. One of these measures will be international investigation of disease outbreaks that suggest a violation ...

Abstract The third objective of the Convention on Biological Diversity, fair and equitable sharing benefits arising out use genetic resources was further developed when Nagoya Protocol Access Benefit Sharing came into effect in 2014. Interpretation how this agreement is being implemented wide-ranging there are implications for biological control. A survey control workers indicated that while so...

We conducted a comprehensive review of the research literature on interactions between invasive species and included in critically endangered category International Union for Conservation Nature (IUCN) Red List. This reveals that, globally, threaten 14% (28% islands) terrestrial vertebrate (birds, mammals reptiles), with birds (25%; 47% most affected, threatened predominantly by few mammal pred...

Bioprospecting, defined as the systematic search for valuable, molecules, genes and organisms in nature, has the potential to offer island countries a means to use biodiversity without disrupting nature; to add value to their natural resources; to ensure that such resources are protected and used in a sustainable manner; and to build the necessary skills to apply biotechnology in improving qual...