WHAT IS THE U.S. ROLE IN THE CONVENTION?

The U.S. is not yet a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity. President Clinton signed the CBD in June 1993 and sent it to the Senate for advice and consent to ratification. The CBD is awaiting Senate ratification. The Administration is committed to ratification of the CBD. The Administration not only recognizes the global importance of striving to meet the conservation objectives of the CBD, but is critically aware of the negative impact that specific CBD-related activities may have on U.S. interests because the U.S. remains a non-Party.

U.S. Representation

The Department of State is the lead U.S. agency to the CBD negotiations. The Department of Commerce (including NOAA), Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and a number of other Agencies participate actively in the interagency process and on delegations to CBD negotiations.

The National Marine Fisheries Service has been designated the lead NOAA Line Office on marine and coastal CBD issues, working in close consultation with the NOAA International Liaison Staff and other NOAA Line Offices.

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