UNCTAD BioTrade Initiative - BioTrade principles and criteria

Jul 2007

The objective of the UNCTAD BioTrade Initiative (BTI) is to contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity through the promotion of trade and investment in BioTrade products and services in line with the objectives and principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
The notion of BioTrade is thus at the centre of a conceptual framework that guides the action of the BTI, BioTrade regional and national programmes, and of organizations that produce and commercialize products and services derived from biodiversity. Within this framework the term BioTrade is understood to include activities related to the collection or production, transformation, and commercialization of goods and services derived from native biodiversity (genetic resources, species and ecosystems) according to criteria of environmental, social and economic sustainability. To complement the definition of BioTrade, the BTI, the BioTrade national programmes and other national and international partners have defined the BioTrade Principles and Criteria.
The Principles and Criteria are at the core of the conceptual framework that supports BTI activities and are in line with the objectives and principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Given the relevance of trade for specific species and ecosystems, supporting the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is also a priority for the BTI.
In addition, in the development of the Principles and Criteria extensive consultations were held with partners and stakeholders. This process began in 1999 with the formulation of BioTrade national programmes. Since then, the Principles and Criteria have guided the activities of the BioTrade Initiative, BioTrade national programmes and other related initiatives. In early 2004, on the basis of the work of the BioTrade national programmes, a regional version of the Principles and Criteria was adopted by the BTI and
the national programmes. To complement the approaches implicit in the Principles and Criteria, the BTI and its partners are implementing the Principles and Criteria using the following approaches:
Value-chain approach
Adaptive management approach
Ecosystem approach
Finally, the BioTrade Principles and Criteria are applied in different contexts, such as a programme's impact assessment, guidance for organizations, support of value chains, selection of funds and verification. In short, the Principles and Criteria drive BioTrade processes to promote the conservation of biodiversity through sustainable commercial use.

By: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

 
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