Making trade work for sustainable use of biodiversity

Background

Twelve years after UNCTAD launched the BioTrade Initiative with the aim of promoting trade and investment in biological resources as a means of furthering sustainable development, a number of countries and regions have made remarkable progress in embracing BioTrade into their development strategies.

With the creation of the BioTrade Facilitation Programme (BTFP), UNCTAD further advanced in facilitating BioTrade, through innovative collaborative arrangements.

BioTrade has created platforms where stakeholders have successfully engaged and, as a result, it is increasingly seen as an important component in development cooperation. Nevertheless, the complex and evolving legal and policy environment could negatively impact conservation efforts through the sustainable use of biodiversity, unless BioTrade is adequately recognized.

In view of this, the new phase of BTFP, launched in 2008, provides a more effective platform for collaboration that allows UNCTAD to focus on its areas of expertise and contribute to the creation of an enabling policy environment for BioTrade activities.