CBD Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is an international treaty adopted in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) that came into force on 29th of December 1993.

The convention aims at the development of strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity that ensures long-term prosperity of future generations.

Up to date, 191 countries have become a party to the convention (July 2008). The convention establishes three main goals: Conservation of the biological diversity, sustainable use of its components and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources.

The most important institution for the implementation of the convention is the Conference of Parties (COP) where member state representatives meet every two years to discuss achievements and decide upon concrete measures that support the implementation of the convention's objectives.

Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development

In 1999, the UN-Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) invited the parties to the CBD to evaluate the possibilities for the development of guidelines on biodiversity conservation and tourism development within the framework of the convention. As a party to the convention, the Federal Republic of Germany took the initiative for the elaboration of such guidelines. The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety took the lead for the development in the frame of the CBD working group. At the 7th conference of the parties the Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism Development were adopted.

These guidelines are voluntary and offer instruments for local, regional and national governments as well as for local stakeholders for the management of tourism activities in an ecological, economic and socially sustainable way. They provide a detailed practical instrument for the planning and management of sustainable tourism projects; i.a. the working areas, management processes and tasks of the responsible institutions from decision making up to monitoring are defined in the guidelines. Pilot projects for the implementation of the guidelines have been supported by the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

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