IUCN

IUCN's Temperate and Boreal Forest Programme (TBFP), which is part of the broader IUCN Forest Conservation Programme, has identified Russia as a top priority for the development of a country-level program to promote conservation and sustainable forest management initiatives in temperate and boreal countries. As a result, a series of four participatory workshops were held across the country, examining the Russian Far East, Siberia, and European Russia.

Plant genetic resources are crucial for world agriculture, food security and the global economy. They are vital for the pharmaceutical industry and are important assests for developing countries rich in biodiversity. The patents and intellectual property rights (IPRs) associated with the development of new products are critical to trade in these resources.

In the 1990s, the international community placed both biodiversity protection and trade liberalisation high on its agenda, resulting in the formation of global agreements and institutions, such as the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Distinct in character, they are increasingly linked through the many ways that trade rules affect biodiversity.