United Nations A/RES/78/155

General Assembly Distr.: General

21 December 2023

Seventy-eighth session
Agenda item 18 (f)
Sustainable development: Convention on Biological Diversity

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly

on 19 December 2023
[on the report of the Second Committee (A/78/461/Add.6, para. 7)]

78/155. Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its

contribution to sustainable development

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 77/167 of 14 December 2022 and its previous
resolutions relating to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 1
Reaffirming the outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development, including the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development 2
and its principles, the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development, entitled “The future we want”, 3 and, inter alia, the
commitments concerning biodiversity contained therein, the Programme for the
Further Implementation of Agenda 21, 4 the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable
Development 5 and the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (Johannesburg Plan of Implementation) 6 and the outcome document of
the special event to follow up efforts made towards achieving the Millennium
Development Goals convened by the President of the General Assembly, 7
Reaffirming also its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled
“Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, in which
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1
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1760, No. 30619.
2
Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro,
3– 14 June 1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United Nations publication,
Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigendum), resolution 1, annex I.
3
Resolution 66/288, annex.
4
Resolution S-19/2, annex.
5
Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa,
26 August–4 September 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.03.II.A.1 and
corrigendum), chap. I, resolution 1, annex.
6
Ibid., resolution 2, annex.
7
Resolution 68/6.

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 Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity
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it adopted a comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and

transformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets, its commitment to
working tirelessly for the full implementation of the Agenda by 2030, its recognition
that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty,
is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable
development, its commitment to achieving sustainable development in its three
dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated
manner, and to building upon the achievements of the Millennium Development
Goals and seeking to address their unfinished business,
Reaffirming further its resolution 69/313 of 27 July 2015 on the Addis Ababa
Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development,
which is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, supports
and complements it, helps to contextualize its means of implementation targets with
concrete policies and actions, and reaffirms the strong political commitment to
address the challenge of financing and creating an enabling environment at all levels
for sustainable development in the spirit of global partnership and solidarity,
Reaffirming the New Urban Agenda, adopted at the United Nations Conference
on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), held in Quito, Ecuador,
from 17 to 20 October 2016, 8 and its vision for cities and human settlements that
protect, conserve, restore and promote their ecosystems, water, natural habitats and
biodiversity and minimize their environmental impact,
Reaffirming also the Paris Agreement 9 and encouraging all its parties to fully
implement the Agreement, and parties to the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change 10 that have not yet done so to deposit their instruments of
ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, where appropriate, as soon as possible,
Urging the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the agreed
intergovernmentally negotiated outcomes and decisions of the subsequent United
Nations Climate Change Conferences,
Welcoming the twenty-seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Sharm el -Sheikh,
Egypt, from 6 to 20 November 2022, and looking forward to the twenty-eighth session
of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 November to 12 December
2023,
Noting with serious concern the findings from the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change in its special reports entitled Global Warming of 1.5°C, The Ocean
and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate and Climate Change and Land: An IPCC
Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable
Land Management, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Terrestrial
Ecosystems, as well as the contribution of Working Groups I, II and III and the synthesis
report of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, in which the Intergovernmental Panel highlights the linkages between climate
change and extreme weather events and slow-onset events and their negative impacts
on people and nature, and highlighting the increasing frequency and intensit y of
extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts and heavy precipitation,
Recalling the convening of the summit on biodiversity on 30 September 2020,
in order to highlight the urgency of action at the highest levels in support of a global

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8
Resolution 71/256, annex.
9
Adopted under the UNFCCC in FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21.
10
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1771, No. 30822.

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biodiversity framework that contributes to the 2030 Agenda and places the global
community on a path towards realizing the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity, “Living in
harmony with nature”,
Taking note with appreciation of the interactive dialogue on Harmony with
Nature convened by the President of the General Assembly on 24 April 2023, in
commemoration of International Mother Earth Day,
Recalling its resolution 76/300 of 28 July 2022 on the human right to a clean,
healthy and sustainable environment,
Recalling also its resolutions 71/312 of 6 July 2017 and 76/296 of 21 July 2022,
in which it endorsed the declarations adopted by the first and second United Nations
Conferences to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14:
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable
development, demonstrating the collective will to take action to conserve and
sustainably use our oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development,
as well as to halt and reverse the decline in the health and productivity of our ocean
and its ecosystems and to protect and restore its resilience and ecological integrity,
recognizing the important contributions of the dialogues and voluntary commitments
made in the context of those Conferences to the eff ective and timely implementation
of Sustainable Development Goal 14, and looking forward to the third United Nations
Ocean Conference, to be held in 2025,
Taking note of voluntary initiatives to support efforts to achieve the conservation
and protection of at least 30 per cent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030, which
can further contribute to halt and reverse biodiversity loss,
Recalling its resolution 73/284 of 1 March 2019, in which it proclaimed 2021–
2030 the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, with the aim of
supporting and scaling up efforts to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of
ecosystems worldwide and raise awareness of the importance of su ccessful ecosystem
restoration,
Recalling also the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030, 11 and
recognizing that forests are home to an estimated 80 per cent of all terrestrial species
and that forests, including boreal, temperate and tropi cal, contribute substantially to
climate change mitigation and adaptation and to the conservation of biodiversity,
Recalling further the fifth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, in which
it was highlighted that none of the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets were fully achieved,
although six were partially achieved (targets 9, 11, 16, 17, 19 and 20),
Noting with concern that the Sustainable Development Goal targets with a 2020
deadline have not been fully achieved,
Recognizing that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and other
pandemics underscore the need to conserve, restore and sustainably use biodiversity,
on land and below water, to reduce the risk of the economic, social and environmental
impacts of disasters and future pandemic outbreak s, many of which are exacerbated
by biodiversity loss, the increased scale of poaching and the illegal use of and trade
in wildlife and wildlife products, desertification, land degradation and drought,
climate change and plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, and
emphasizing the need to support and invest at all levels, to enhance efforts to build
resilience, to reduce the likelihood of zoonotic infections and to avoid or minimize
adverse impacts on biological diversity in order to achieve the objectives of the

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11
See resolution 71/285.

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Convention on Biological Diversity and to achieve a sustainable, resilient and

inclusive recovery,
Recalling with appreciation the intergovernmentally agreed outcomes of the
meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
and the meetings of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meetings of the
Parties to the Protocols to the Convention,
Recalling that the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, to be
pursued in accordance with its relevant provisions, are the conservation of biological
diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the
benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate
access to genetic resources, by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into
account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding,
Recognizing that the achievement of the three objectives of the Convention on
Biological Diversity is crucial for sustainable development, poverty eradication, food
security and the improvement of human health and well-being, and a major factor
underpinning the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and other
internationally agreed development goals,
Reaffirming that, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, States
have the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own
environmental policies and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their
jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of
areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction,
Reaffirming also the intrinsic value of biological diversity, as well as the
ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and
aesthetic values of biological diversity, and its critical role in maintaining ecosystems
that provide essential functions and services, which are critical foundations for
sustainable development, and human health and well-being,
Encouraging parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to integrate
nature-based solutions, ecosystem-based approaches and other management and
conservation approaches, in line with resolution 5/5 o f 7 March 2022 of the United
Nations Environment Assembly, 12 to climate change adaptation and mitigation and
disaster risk reduction into their strategic planning, as appropriate, across sectors,
Recognizing that the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of
Indigenous Peoples and local communities that are relevant to the Convention make
a key contribution to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and that
their wider application can support social well-being and sustainable livelihoods,
Recalling the decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity at its thirteenth and fourteenth meetings, on
article 8 (j) and related provisions, 13 decision CBD/CP/MOP/VIII/19 14 and decision

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12
UNEP/EA.5/Res.5.
13
United Nations Environment Programme, document UNEP/CBD/COP/13/25, decisions XIII/18
and 14/12, 14/13, 14/14, 14/15, 14/16 and 14/17 of the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity.
14
Adopted by the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety at its eighth meeting (see United Nations Environment Programme,
document UNEP/CBD/CP/MOP/8/17).

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CBD/NP/MOP/DEC/2/7, 15 as well as of the work done by the Ad Hoc Open-ended

Inter-sessional Working Group on Article 8 (j) and related provisions,
Noting with profound concern the findings of the Intergovernmental Science-
Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Global Assessment Report
on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services,
Recalling the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 16
and the outcome document of the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly
known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, 17
Recognizing the vital role that women play in the conservation and sustainable
use of biological diversity, and reaffirming the need for their full, equal, effective and
meaningful participation at all levels of policymaking and implementation for the
conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, as well as ecosystem
restoration,
Recognizing also the important role of other biodiversity-related multilateral
environmental agreements, regional agreements and initiatives in contributing to the
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity,
Recognizing further the important role of the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 18 in contributing to the conservation
and sustainable use of biodiversity and in ensuring that no species entering into
international trade is threatened with extinction, recognizing also the economic, social
and environmental impacts of poaching and trafficking in wildlife,
Welcoming the convening of the United Nations Conference on the Midterm
Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International
Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018 –2028, from 22 to
24 March 2023,
Recognizing the importance of the outcomes of the resumed fifth session of the
United Nations Environment Assembly, held in Nairobi from 28 February to 2 March
2022, and the first special session of the United Nations Environment Assembly to
commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations
Environment Programme, held in Nairobi on 3 and 4 March 2022, recognizing
also the importance of the international meeting entitled “Stockholm+50: a healthy
planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility, our opportunity”, held in
Stockholm on 2 and 3 June 2022, at which the global interconnectedness of the
environment was emphasized, and looking forward to the sixth session of the United
Nations Environment Assembly, to be held in Nairobi from 26 February to 1 March
2024,
Welcoming the decision by the United Nations Environment Assembly at its
resumed fifth session, in resolution 5/14 of 2 March 2022, 19 to convene an
intergovernmental negotiating committee to develop an international legal ly binding
instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, and welcoming
also the decision taken by the Environment Assembly at its resumed fifth session to
strengthen global action on the sound management of chemicals and waste and t o

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15
Adopted by the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya
Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising
from Their Utilization at its second meeting (see United Nations Environment Programme,
document UNEP/CBD/NP/MOP/2/13).
16
Resolution 61/295, annex.
17
Resolution 69/2.
18
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 993, No. 14537.
19
UNEP/EA.5/Res.14.

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prevent pollution, in line with Environment Assembly resolutions 5/2, 5/7 and 5/8 of
2 March 2022, 20
Recognizing the importance of the outcomes of the fifteenth session of the
Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly
in Africa, held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire from 9 to 20 May 2022,
Noting the adoption by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity, at its tenth meeting, of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to
Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Be nefits Arising from Their
Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 21 the objective of which is the
fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic
resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resour ces and by appropriate
transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources
and to technologies, and by appropriate funding, and acknowledging the role of access
to genetic resources and equitable benefit-sharing arising from their utilization in
contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, poverty
eradication and environmental sustainability, and thereby to the achievement of
sustainable development,
Noting also that 195 States and 1 regional economic integration organization are
parties to the Convention and that 140 States and 1 regional economic integration
organization are parties to the Nagoya Protocol, noting further that 172 States and 1
regional economic integration organization are parties to the Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity 22 and that 53 States and 1
regional economic integration organization are parties to the Nagoya -Kuala Lumpur
Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety, 23 and recalling the entry into force of the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur
Supplementary Protocol on 5 March 2018,
Taking note with appreciation of the initiative launched at the fourteenth
meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention to promote a coherent
approach between the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,
the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Dro ught and/or
Desertification, Particularly in Africa 24 (the Rio conventions) to address biodiversity
loss, climate change and land and ecosystem degradation,
Stressing that adequate, predictable and easily accessible financial resources
from all sources will be key to place the global community on a path towards realizing
the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity of living in harmony with nature,
Reiterating the pledge that no one will be left behind, reaffirming the
recognition that the dignity of the human person is fundamental, and the wish to see
the Goals and targets met for all nations and peoples and for all segments of society,
and recommitting to endeavour to reach the furthest behind first,
1. Takes note of the report of the Executive Secretary of the Convention on
Biological Diversity; 25

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20
UNEP/EA.5/Res.2, UNEP/EA.5/Res.7 and UNEP/EA.5/Res.8.
21
United Nations Environment Programme, document UNEP/CBD/COP/10/27, annex, decision X/1.
22
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2226, No. 30619.
23
See United Nations Environment Programme, document UNEP/CBD/BS/COP -MOP/5/17, annex,
decision BS-V/11.
24
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1954, No. 33480.
25
A/78/209, sect. III.

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2. Welcomes the convening of the first part of the fifteenth meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as the
Meetings of the Parties to the Protocols to the Convention, held in Kunming, China,
from 11 to 15 October 2021 under the theme proposed by the Presidency “Ecological
civilization: building a shared future for all life on Earth”, and the second part, held
in Montreal, Canada, under the presidency of China, from 7 to 19 December 2022,
with the support of Canada, and its outcomes, looks forward to the sixteenth meeting
of the Conference of the Parties and the meetings of the Conference of the Parties
serving as the Meetings of the Parties to the Protocols to the Co nvention, and
encourages all Parties in a position to do so to consider hosting;
3. Also welcomes the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to
contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, 26 to the 2030 mission to
halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and to place the global community on a
path towards realizing the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity, and urges Parties and invites
other Governments, with the support of United Nations entities and the participation
of all other stakeholders, to ensure the early, inclusive and effective implementation
of the Framework and all other decisions adopted by the Parties;
4. Calls for the provision and mobilization of new and additional means of
implementation to support the full implementation of the Convention on Biological
Diversity, and further emphasizes the importance of urgently increasing the
mobilization of financial resources from all sources, domestic and international,
public and private, with a view to closing the biodiversity fin ancing gap and making
adequate and predictable resources available in a timely manner for the effective
implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework;
5. Welcomes the adoption by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention
at its fifteenth meeting of the strategy for resource mobilization for the Kunming -
Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in support of the achievement of the three
objectives of the Convention;
6. Emphasizes that the successful implementation of the Kunming-Montreal
Global Biodiversity Framework requires responsibility and transparency, which will
be supported by effective mechanisms for planning, monitoring, reporting and review,
including through revising or updating national biodiversity strategies and action
plans, in alignment with the Framework, its goals and its targets, in line with decision
15/6 adopted at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties;
7. Requests the continuation of efforts made by the secretariat of the
Convention, parties to the Convention and the Global Environment Facility, as the
financial mechanism of the Convention, in conjunction with United Nations funds
and programmes and the specialized agencies, as well as other entities, in organizing
capacity-building activities to support countries in the updating of national
biodiversity strategies and action plans, with a view to enhancing capacity and
addressing the need for human, technical and financial resources to implement the
Convention and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, in particular
for developing countries;
8. Welcomes the establishment by the Global Environment Facility of the
Global Biodiversity Framework Fund to support the implementation of the Kunming-
Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework;
9. Calls for continued capitalization and timely operationalization of the
Global Biodiversity Framework Fund commensurate with the targets of the
Framework, from all sources, including, inter alia, international financial resources
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26
Resolution 70/1.

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from developed countries, philanthropic organizations and the private sector, and to
progress towards implementation as soon as possible;
10. Welcomes the decision to establish, as part of the Kunming-Montreal
Global Biodiversity Framework, a multilateral mechanism for benefit-sharing from
the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources, including a global fund,
and recognizing the ongoing process towards its operationalization;
11. Acknowledges the important roles and contributions of Indigenous Peoples
and local communities as custodians of biodiversity and as partners in its conservation,
restoration and sustainable use, stresses that the implementation of the Kunming-
Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework must ensure that the rights, knowledge,
including traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity, innovations, world views,
values and practices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities are respected, and
documented and preserved with their free, prior and informed consent, 27 including
through their full and effective participation in decision-making, in accordance with
relevant national legislation, international instruments, including the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and human rights law, and takes
note with appreciation of the goal of providing up to 20 per cent of the programming
share of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund by 2030 to support action by
Indigenous Peoples and local communities for the conservation, restoration,
sustainable use and management of biodiversity;
12. Welcomes the political declaration adopted by the high-level political
forum on sustainable development convened under the auspices of the General
Assembly (Sustainable Development Goals Summit), 28 held in New York on 18 and
19 September 2023, and urges timely action to ensure its full implementation;
13. Urges parties to the Convention to ensure the coherence and
complementarity of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework with
other existing or upcoming international processes, in particular with regar d to the
2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement and other related processes, frameworks and
strategies, and reiterates the invitation to the other multilateral environmental
agreements, including biodiversity-related conventions and the Rio conventions,
relevant international organizations and their programmes, and other relevant
processes to actively participate in their implementation;
14. Encourages support for the Sharm el-Sheikh to Kunming Action Agenda
for Nature and People, which is aimed at collecting, coordinating and celebrating
actions in support of biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use, encourages all
relevant stakeholders, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities and the
private sector, to consider developing biodiversity commitments, and invites relevant
agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and other relevant
institutions and intergovernmental organizations, where relevant, to support the
implementation of the Action Agenda;
15. Urges parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and all other
relevant stakeholders to mainstream biodiversity into COVID -19 response and
recovery efforts, to fully implement and support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and other international development goals, including by strengthening
approaches to enhance resilience, protecting wild flora and fauna and other living
species reversing the trends in environmental degradation, through the conservation,
sustainable use and restoration of ecosystems, sustainably managing water resources
at all levels, preventing the retreat of mountain glaciers and permafrost thaw,
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27
In this framework, free, prior and informed consent refers to the tripartite terminology of “prior
and informed consent” or “free, prior and informed consent” or “approval and involvement”.
28
Resolution 78/1.

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sustainably managing all types of forests and halting deforestation and forest
degradation, as well as by integrating the conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity and access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of
benefits arising from their utilization into relevant national decision -making,
emphasizes that biodiversity and health linkages should be addressed holistically,
including through a biodiversity-inclusive One Health approach, among other
approaches, and recalls in this regard decision 14/4 of 30 November 2018 of the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and resolutions
3/4 of 30 January 2018, 5/1 of 2 March 2022 and 5/6 of 7 March 2022 of the United
Nations Environment Assembly; 29
16. Notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing
inequalities and challenges for the implementation of the Convention and further
highlighted that the loss and degradation of biodiversity increases the risk of zoonotic
disease spillover from wildlife to people and that biodiversity should continue to be
mainstreamed in COVID-19 recovery plans and in plans aimed at reducing the risk
of future pandemics, emphasizes the importance of a One Health approach and other
holistic approaches that deliver multiple benefits to the health and well -being of
people, and planet, that would further strengthen the capacity to address biodiversity
loss, prevent and respond to the emergence of diseases, including zoonotic infections,
and future pandemics, and contribute to reducing the adverse impacts of climate
change, calls for transformative actions from all relevant stakeholders and adequate
and sufficient means of implementation, particularly for developing countries, to
ensure the full implementation of the Convention to halt and reverse biodiversity loss,
and welcomes the financial commitments and initiatives that have been announced
from governments, organizations and the private sector that contribute to biodiversity
conservation, restoration and sustainable use and maintain the political momentum
for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework;
17. Notes with concern the limited progress made in the implementation of the
three objectives of the Convention, namely, the conservation of biological diversity,
the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits
arising out of the utilization of genetic resources;
18. Recalls with appreciation the entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol on
Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising
from Their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity on 12 October 2014,
and notes with particular concern the limited progress made in the implementation of
the Nagoya Protocol;
19. Notes the limited progress made in mainstreaming article 8 (j) of the
Convention and related provisions into various areas of work under the Convention,
takes note with appreciation of decision 15/10 of the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention to develop a new programme of work on article 8 (j) and other provisions
of the Convention related to Indigenous Peoples and local communities aligned with
the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, with the full and effective
participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and in this regard invites
the secretariat of the Convention, through the Secretary-General, to report on the
progress made by the Ad Hoc Open-ended Inter-sessional Working Group on Article
8 (j) and related provisions when reporting on the implementation of the present
resolution to the General Assembly;
20. Encourages the respective parties, in close collaboration with relevant
stakeholders, to take concrete measures towards achieving the objectives of the
Convention on Biological Diversity and the Protocols thereto, the Cartagena Protocol
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29
UNEP/EA.3/Res.4, UNEP/EA.5/Res.1 and UNEP/EA.5/Res.6.

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on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol, requests the parties, in close collaboration
with relevant stakeholders, to coherently and efficiently implement the obligations
and commitments under the Convention and the Protocols, and in this regard
emphasizes the need to comprehensively address at all levels the difficulties t hat may
impede their implementation;
21. Reaffirms the importance of continuing to pursue more efficient and
coherent implementation of the three objectives of the Convention, and calls upon
parties and stakeholders to strengthen international cooperatio n measures for the
fulfilment of obligations contained in the Convention;
22. Highlights the importance of parties raising high-level political
engagement for the achievement of the objectives of the Convention and the related
Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda;
23. Invites all parties, relevant departments of the Secretariat, the specialized
agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and the regional
commissions to continue to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the
Convention;
24. Notes the important role of the United Nations Environment Management
Group in enhancing inter-agency coordination to support the implementation of the
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework;
25. Stresses the importance of mainstreaming biodiversity for achieving the
objectives of the Convention, the 2050 Vision and 2030 mission for Biodiversity in
order to achieve the transformational change required throughout societies and
economies, including changes in behaviour and decision-making at all levels, and
urges all relevant stakeholders to mainstream biodiversity in all relevant sectors;
26. Calls upon Governments and all stakeholders to take appropriate measures
to mainstream consideration of the socioeconomic impacts and benefits of the
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and its components, as well as
ecosystems that provide essential services, into relevant programmes and policies at
all levels, in accordance with national legislation, circumstances and priorities;
27. Stresses the importance of mainstreaming biodiversity in the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda as part of national implementation plans for the
Sustainable Development Goals, in particular all biodiversity -related Goals and
targets;
28. Recognizes that integrating biodiversity considerations into sectoral and
cross-sectoral policies, plans and programmes at all levels is critical for harnessing
the benefits of enhanced synergies and policy coherence;
29. Stresses the critical importance of mainstreaming biodiversity across
government and society in order to achieve the objectives of the Convention, and the
urgent need to mainstream biodiversity in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global
Biodiversity Framework;
30. Welcomes the decisions of the parties to the Convention to better
mainstream biodiversity and to take specific actions tailored to national needs and
circumstances, and in line with other relevant international agreements, including in
key sectors, such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism, as well as health,
energy, mining, infrastructure, manufacturing and processing sectors, which are
crucial for addressing biodiversity loss, bearing in mind the impact of these sectors
on biodiversity;
31. Recalls its resolution 77/321 of 1 August 2023 entitled “Agreement under
the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and

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Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National

Jurisdiction”;
32. Emphasizes the importance of ending illegal, unreported and unregulated
fishing, and welcomes the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies reached at the Twelfth
Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization;
33. Notes the critical role of biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services
for climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction, including by
adding resilience to fragile ecosystems and making them less vulnerable, and that
continued climate change will have predominantly adverse and often irreversible
impacts on many ecosystems and their functions and services, with significant
negative social, cultural and economic consequences;
34. Urges the parties to the Convention to facilitate the transfer of technology
on mutually agreed terms for the effective implementation of the Convention in
accordance with article 16 and other relevant provisions of the Convention, and in
this regard welcomes the decision to establish an informal advisory group on technical
and scientific cooperation, to provide strategic advice on practical measures, tools
and opportunities to promote and facilitate technical and scientific cooperation in
accordance with the terms of reference contained in annex III to decision 15/8 of the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention;
35. Urges parties and invites other Governments and relevant organizations to
recognize the important role of, and to promote, science, technology and innovation
in supporting the implementation of the goals and targets of the Kunming -Montreal
Global Biodiversity Framework towards achieving the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity
of living in harmony with nature;
36. Welcomes decision 15/11 of the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention, entitled “Gender Plan of Action”, which recognizes the importance of
advancing efforts to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and
girls and of supporting and advancing gender mainstreaming and gender-responsive
implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and
encourages parties to promote the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in
developing, implementing and revising their national, and where appropriate, regional
and subnational biodiversity strategies and action plans and equivalent instruments in
implementing the three objectives of the Convention, and also recognizes the need to
enhance cooperation on capacity-building in order to support parties in this process;
37. Invites countries that have not yet done so to ratify or accede to the
Convention;
38. Invites parties to the Convention to ratify or accede to the Nagoya
Protocol, and invites the Executive Secretary of the Convention and the Global
Environment Facility, within its mandate as the financial mechanism of the
Convention, in collaboration with relevant organizations, to continue to support
capacity-building and development activities to support the ratification and
implementation of the Protocol;
39. Also invites parties to the Convention to consider, as appropriate, ratifying
or acceding to the Cartagena Protocol;
40. Invites parties to the Cartagena Protocol to consider, as appropriate,
ratifying or acceding to the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on
Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety;
41. Stresses the urgent need to halt the global decline of biodiversity, which is
unprecedented in human history, including its main indirect and direct drivers, in

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particular changes in land and sea use, direct exploitation of organisms, climate
change, pollution and invasion of alien species;
42. Notes the findings of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in its assessment report on the diverse values
and valuation of nature, and stresses that achieving a sustainable and just future
requires institutions that enable a recognition and integration of the diverse values of
nature and nature’s contributions to people, and that the transformative cha nge needed
to address the global biodiversity crisis relies on shifting away from predominant
values that currently overemphasize short-term and individual material gains to
nurturing sustainability-aligned values across society;
43. Takes note of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services assessment reports on the sustainable use of
wild species and on invasive alien species and their control, and stresses that the
impacts of invasive alien species are increasing rapidly and are predicted to continue
rising in the future, whereas they can be prevented and mitigated through effective
management, with closer collaboration across sectors and countries;
44. Notes that increasing investments in nature-based solutions, ecosystem-
based approaches and other management and conservation approaches, in line with
resolution 5/5 of the United Nations Environment Assembly, has the potential to cost -
effectively support biodiversity conservation, restoration and its sustainable use, to
help advance climate mitigation and adaptation and to reduce adverse impacts of
climate change and to slow, halt and even reverse some aspects of biodiversity and
ecosystem loss, and therefore invites all relevant stakeholders to consider the
opportunities it presents;
45. Stresses the importance of engaging Indigenous Peoples and local
communities, women, youth, civil society, local governments and authorities,
academia, the business and financial sectors and other relevant stakeholders to
support action towards the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global
Biodiversity Framework, the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity and the three objectives of
the Convention, and invites them to align their practices more explicitly with the
objectives of the Convention, including through partnerships, in accordance with
national legislation, circumstances and priorities;
46. Encourages the private sector, in particular business and financial
institutions, to progressively reduce negative impacts on biodiversity, increase
positive impacts, reduce biodiversity-related risks to business and financial
institutions, and promote actions to ensure sustainable patterns of production, in this
regard stresses the importance of the work of the Global Partnership for Business and
Biodiversity, and notes other related and complementary initiatives;
47. Notes the ongoing work of the Joint Liaison Group of the secretariats and
offices of the relevant subsidiary bodies of the Convention on Biological Diversity,
the Convention to Combat Desertification and the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change and the Liaison Group of Biodiversity -related
Conventions, acknowledges the importance of improving coherence in the
implementation of those conventions, recognizes the importance of enhancing
synergies among the biodiversity-related conventions and agreements, without
prejudice to their specific objectives, in this regard notes the contribution of the
United Nations Environment Assembly, as reflected in its resolution 2/17 of 27 May
2016, 30 and the outcomes of its fourth session, held in Nairobi from 11 to 15 March

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30
See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-first Session, Supplement No. 25
(A/71/25), annex.

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2019, 31 in particular its ministerial declaration, and encourages the conferences of the
parties to the biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements to consider
strengthening efforts in this regard, taking into account relevant experiences and
bearing in mind their respective independent legal status and mandates;
48. Reaffirms the commitment at the very heart of the 2030 Agenda to leave
no one behind and commit to taking more tangible steps to support people in
vulnerable situations and the most vulnerable countries and to reach the furthest
behind first;
49. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly, at its
seventy-ninth session, a report on the implementation of the present resolution,
progress in the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and decides to include in the
provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session, under the item entitled “Sustainable
development”, the sub-item entitled “Convention on Biological Diversity”.

49th plenary meeting

19 December 2023

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31
Ibid., Seventy-fourth Session, Supplement No. 25 (A/74/25), annex I.

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