Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity
and its contribution to sustainable development
A/RES/70/207
Reaffirming further its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled
“Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, in which
it adopted a comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and
transformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets, its commitment to
working tirelessly for the full implementation of this Agenda by 2030, its
recognition that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including
extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensab le requirement
for sustainable development, its commitment to achieving sustainable development
in its three dimensions — economic, social and environmental — in a balanced and
integrated manner, and to building upon the achievements of the Millennium
Development Goals and seeking to address their unfinished business,
Reaffirming its resolution 69/313 of 27 July 2015 on the Addis Ababa Action
Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, which
is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, supports and
complements it, helps to contextualize its means of implementation targets with
concrete policies and actions, and reaffirms the strong political commitment to
address the challenge of financing and creating an enabling environment at all levels
for sustainable development in the spirit of global partnership and solidarity,
Recalling that the objectives of the Convention, to be pursued in accordance
with its relevant provisions, are the conservation of biological diversity, the
sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits
arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to
genetic resources, by appropriate transfer of relevant technolog ies, taking into
account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate
funding,
Reaffirming the intrinsic value of biological diversity, as well as the
ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, rec reational
and aesthetic values of biological diversity and its critical role in maintaining
ecosystems that provide essential services, which are critical foundations for
sustainable development and human well-being,
Recognizing that the achievement of the three objectives of the Convention is
crucial for sustainable development, poverty eradication and the improvement of
human well-being and a major factor underpinning the achievement of the
internationally agreed development goals, including the Sustaina ble Development
Goals,
Reaffirming that, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the
principles of international law, States have the sovereign right to exploit their own
resources pursuant to their own environmental policies and the resp onsibility to
ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the
environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction,
Recalling that, in its resolution 65/161, the General Assembly declared
2011–2020 the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, with a view to contributing
to the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011 –2020, 9
Recognizing that the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of
indigenous peoples and local communities make an important contribution to the
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United Nations Environment Programme, document UNEP/CBD/COP/10/27, annex, decision X/2,
annex.
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