Accessing biodiversity and sharing the benefits: Lessons from implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity

Modern developments in biotechnology and the continuing expansion of global trade have allowed society to gain greater access to, and to derive benefits from, the world’s biological and genetic diversity. Eleven years ago the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) entered into force, with a goal of ensuring that in the process of obtaining and sharing such benefits, society would promote the conservation and sustainable use of the world’s biological diversity. Since then countries have been attempting to incorporate the CBD objectives into national legislation, with varying..