Text of the agreement

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is one of three conventions signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 1992 (the other two conventions being the Convention on Climate Change and the Convention the desertification).

It  is a legally binding international treaty that has three main objectives: the conservation of biological diversity; sustainable use of biological diversity; fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources. Its overall goal is to encourage actions that will lead to a sustainable future.

The CBD targets all areas that are directly or indirectly related to biological diversity and its role in development, ranging from science, policy and education to agriculture, business, culture.

This text is offered here article by article to make it easier to read.