National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are the key instruments for translating the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) into national action. The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 adopted at COP10 in 2010 reinforced the role of NBSAPs for national biodiversity planning.
Due to lack of awareness, political will and capacities, policy and legal approaches to address the biodiversity crisis have often reflected a traditional understanding of “biodiversity law”. Reforms often focused on legal or policy measures aimed directly at the protection of habitats, ecosystems and species and not on those that indirectly affect biological diversity.
A tailored mix of policy instruments - from science, technology, financing, economic tools, capacity building, education, and law – is needed in each country. It is widely acknowledged that an enabling policy, legal and institutional framework plays an important role in achieving biodiversity outcomes and therefore the important role of policy and legislation in national (and sub-national) biodiversity planning has been repeatedly emphasized in the last two decades.
UN Environment builds knowledge and capacity of countries to design and implement effective biodiversity-minded laws, and on how laws and legal and policy frameworks can be meaningfully incorporated in NBSAPs.
We help countries to assess, and potentially reform, existing national and sub-national legal and institutional frameworks at an early stage in the NBSAP process to ensure that the goals set out in NBSAPs are achievable.
The experience of the Legal Preparedness for Achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets Initiative has shown that countries around the world are implementing promising legal approaches to achieve the Targets; however, there is yet to be a systematic attempt to compile them, analyze them, and share good practices more widely – including with National Focal Points and other key stakeholders involved in the implementation of the biodiversity-related conventions.
