What is the CBD?
What is the CBD?
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The United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity, also known as the 'CBD', creates global standards, strategies and mechanisms for the conservation of biodiversity at a global scale, and allows countries to meet, dialogue and (ideally) collaborate!
The CBD is a type of Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) and is one of eight legally binding international agreements between several states, that focus on environmental issues.
Others you may have heard of are:
The Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
The Convention on Migratory Species (UN CMS)
Each MEA has a COP (see down the page for explanation) and scientific advisory body, and often a youth platform too. See our diagram for a comparison between UNFCCC and UN CBD.
The CBD was established in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro and has a COP* every two years.
*COP simply means ‘Conference of Parties’ and is the governing body of an international convention. At COP, parties meet to determine goals and guidelines, and review progress on targets. The number refers to the number of times that conference has taken place e.g COP28 is the 28th meeting!
There are 196 parties to the convention (or countries which are signed up) with only the USA and Vatican City State not signing. Parties are legally required to create and enforce national strategies to achieve the goals and agreements of the convention.
The convention has 3 main objectives:
Conservation of biological diversity
Sustainable use of biological diversity
Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of these resources
Parties are currently working towards a 10 year plan (2020-2030) called the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (also known as KMGBF, GBF or the Global Biodiversity Framework).
This plan consists of 23 targets for 2030 and 4 goals for 2050 - click on the links to read these!
2050 Vision and 23 targets for 2030 of the KMGBF
One of the targets you may have heard of is Target 3, also known as 30x30. This is a target to effectively conserve and manage 30% of our land and seas for nature by 2030. The UK assessment in 2026 identified just 7% of land is currently meeting the 30x30 criteria, - you can read more about that on the government website.
Target 22
Target 22
A key target for GYBN is Target 22 to
"Ensure Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice and Information Related to Biodiversity for all"
"Ensure Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice and Information Related to Biodiversity for all"
which specifically includes "indigenous peoples and local communities, women and girls, children and youth, persons with disabilities and environmental defenders".
That's where the major groups to the CBD come in.
Youth are one of the nine designated civil society and stakeholder sectors recognized by the United Nations and the CBD to ensure broad societal participation in global environmental governance and policy-making.
As a major group, youth can participate in and influence decision making in these processes. We quite literally have a seat at the table.
Youth Engagement at the CBD:
Youth Engagement at the CBD:
Youth attend COPs as a major stakeholder group, meaning we have official seats in the room and can voice our opinions.
GYBN is recognised as the official coordination platform for youth participation of the CBD, and countries are encouraged to involve youth in their decision-making, as part of the convention (Decision XI/8), so youth play a really important role!
Some of the ways we are engaged in the CBD are:
Interventions
Lobbying
Tracking
Press conferences
Side events and Parallel events
Youth Spaces (pavilion, summit)
Youth Coordination meetings
Partnerships and alliances
GYBN attends all sorts of international, regional and national meetings relating to the CBD. The major conferences for the convention, COPs take place every two years.
COPs
COPs
COP = Conference of Parties
A COP is the governing body of an international convention and the place where parties meet to determine goals and guidelines, and review progress on targets.
Each MEA, discussed above, has it's own COP. You may have heard of the climate change COPs which take place every year. Biodiversity COPs take place every 2 years, lasting 2 weeks and consisting of formal negotiations, side events for delegates and observers to take part in, bilaterals (when specific countries meet to discuss topics), and much much more.
Many people can attend COP including parties, non-parties (countries who aren’t signatories), and observers (members of civil society) like GYBN!
GYBN members from across the world attend these meetings. A small team from GYBN UK attended the the sixteenth meeting - COP16 - in Colombia in 2024.
You can read about GYBN UK's experience at the CBD COP16 in 2024 in Colombia here: GYBN UK LinkedIn Article
The seventeenth meeting, COP17, is taking place in Armenia in October 2026. A small GYBN UK delegation will also be attending this conference to represent UK youth!
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