* Official Handbook of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) - a major international agreement under continuous development * Gives full details of the CBD and of the discussions and decisions of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD* Essential resource for all those involved in the political process and with biological conservation issuesThe threats to the world's biodiversity and the extinction of species are at unprecedented levels. In 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio, the United Nations adopted the Convention on Biological Diversity to agree international measures aimed at preserving the vital ecosystems and biological resources on which we all depend. 168 countries have signed the Convention which came into force in 1993. The CBD process continues and in February 2000 governments agreed a groundbreaking Protocol on Biosafety, governing the development of trade in genetically modified organisms.This Handbook presents all the most important information about the CBD, including a guide to the decisions adopted and to the ongoing activities of the Convention. It is an essential resource for all the governments, intergovernmental agencies, NGOs and conservation bodies and researchers working in this area.