The Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD) is an international agreement committed to protecting and conserving the biodiversity of our planet. The Convention has three main goals: 1. Conservation of biological diversity; 2. Sustainable use of the components of biological diversity; 3. Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources.

In the light of the upcoming key meetings for the international biodiversity community, CO-OP4CBD is launching a new campaign dedicated to the scientific and technological foundations of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, showcasing how science informs international biodiversity policy and supports the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

Today we explore biotechnology and the Convention Protocols that address biosafety, access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing. 

According to Article 2 of the Convention, biotechnology refers to “any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.” Biotechnology encompasses a wide range of technologies that use biological systems, living organisms or their derivatives to develop or modify products and processes. It includes traditional techniques (such as fermentation, used in numerous industries, especially the food industry), animal and plant breeding techniques (widely used in agriculture), but also modern biotechnology (including genetic engineering techniques). 

Biotechnology has long been applied across many sectors, including:

• health, medicine and diagnostics, such as the production of vaccines, pharmaceuticals and certain vitamins;
• food production, including traditional fermentation processes used to make products such as bread, cheese and fermented beverages;
• agriculture, through conventional plant and animal breeding as well as other techniques that improve crop productivity and resilience;
• environmental applications, including bioremediation and the production of bio-based products and biofuels.

One subset of biotechnology is modern biotechnology, which includes techniques capable of introducing novel combinations of genetic material into an organism. These techniques may result in living modified organisms (LMOs), which are the focus of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety because of their potential implications for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.

In this context, the Convention recognises that biotechnology offers benefits for society, but some applications may also present potential risks to biodiversity and human health and therefore require appropriate oversight. Reflecting the precautionary approach embodied in the Convention and the Cartagena Protocol, decisions on the transboundary movement and use of LMOs may be taken with caution where there is scientific uncertainty about potential adverse effects, helping to prevent harm before it occurs. To address these potential risks while enabling the benefits of biotechnology, Parties to the Convention have adopted international legal instruments establishing rules for specific applications of biotechnology and for access to genetic resources. 

Part of these instruments of international law are the Convention Protocols:

• The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Entered into force in 2003, this international agreement aims to protect biodiversity by ensuring the safe handling, transport and use of LMOs, taking into account the risks to human health. 
• The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Entered into force in 2014, this international agreement aims at the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. 
• The Nagoya – Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. This Protocol was adopted as a supplementary agreement to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. It establishes international rules and procedures relating to liability and response measures in cases of damage to biodiversity resulting from living modified organisms. 

Read more about the UN CBD and its Protocols here.