October 2010: A report titled “Ethics, Justice, and the Convention on Biological Diversity,” authored by Doris Schroeder and Balakrishna Pisupati, has been published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) along with the University of Central Lancashire.

The report states that the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) represents “a breakthrough in international politics, which puts common concerns of humankind and their ethical resolution at the forefront of international negotiations.” The authors suggest that taking a “philosophical look” at the CBD shows it to be an instrument of collaboration between nations to achieve justice (between generations and between the providers and the users of biological resources), rather than a “grand bargain” between parties for the purpose of national or regional self-interest. The report also aims to provide a “crash course” in philosophical ethics, including on main ethical theories, the question of whether morality is relative, and distinctions of the concept of justice.

The authors conclude that the CBD has “achieved a goal that philosophers have been aiming for through millennia; a consensus amongst the peoples in the world to strive towards justice.” Looking forward, the report says it is essential that the objectives of the CBD are realised as speedily as possible; to do this, the international regime must provide sufficient flexibilities for implementation of ABS agreements at the national and subnational levels while offering legal certainty, embracing a globally coherent approach and building confidence in the global system through meaningful cross-border compliance mechanisms. [The Report]