International agreements

Of interest for all those involved in the conservation and sustainable use of Nepal's rich biological heritage. This report covers the present status of knowledge on Nepal's biodiversity, the relevant socio-economic factors, and the current capacity for conservation. Objectives include: providing basic information for development; implementation of national strategies and plans; providing a scientific basis to determine the national priorities for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity; and determining the measures required to meet the obligations of the CBD.

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. Developing separately and involving very different communities, there is a risk that the rules and policies of one regime could hinder the effectiveness of the other.

This publication sets wetlands in their scientific, economic and legal context, before describing the main legal issues involved in implementing the Ramsar Convention. Parts 3-6 take an increasingly broad focus, dealing respectively with site-specific and bioregional approaches to wetland management, generally-applicable techniques for managing damaging processes and activities and, lastly, regional and international frameworks for cooperation.