MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Convention on Biological Diversity extended to the Falkland Islands

MLA Poole, Environment Portfolio-Holder, explained CBD allows the Islands to be part of an international club and learn from experience across member states.”

The United Kingdom ratification to the Convention on Biological Diversity was formally extended to the Falkland Islands on Wednesday (June 29). The CBD is an agreement on environmental management and best practice and originated from the 1992 Rio Conference on environment and development.

 The CBD is supported by the FIG Biodiversity Framework and supporting strategies. This document was formally endorsed by the Falkland Islands Government in January 2016 and provides a 15 year policy document which identifies priority conservation objectives for the Falkland Islands.

These objectives meet local requirements and also identify how this meets the targets set out under the CBD.

Several of the Overseas Territories have joined the UK ratification to the CBD in recent years including St Helena and South Georgia.

MLA Michael Poole, Portfolio-Holder for the Environment, explained, “Extension of the CBD to the Falkland Islands is an important component of the Falkland Islands commitment to responsible environmental stewardship and sustainable development. It allows the Islands to be part of an international club and to learn from experience across Member states.”

The Falkland Islands Biodiversity Framework is available here.