Denmark's Clearing-House Mechanism
UN Convention on Biological Diversity
Denmark is a party to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
The Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, is one of the key agreements in a comprehensive strategy for sustainable development. The Convention has 196 Parties and three main goals:
- the conservation of biological diversity.
- the sustainable use of its components, and
- the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources.
The overarching implementation framework is the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 adopted at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) held in October 2010, in Nagoya, Japan. Additional information on the Convention can be found on the CBD website.
More about the Convention on Biological Diversity
About the CBD Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM)
The Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) provides the information exchange platform of the Convention on Biological Diversity and has evolved into a global network of websites with the CBD website (www.cbd.int) as its central node, and national Clearing-House Mechanisms as national nodes of the network. The mission of the clearing-house mechanism is "to contribute significantly to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, through effective information services and other appropriate means in order to promote and facilitate scientific and technical cooperation, knowledge sharing, and information exchange, and to establish a fully operational network of Parties and partners".
Denmark's Clearing-House Mechanism
Denmark’s CHM provides an overview of the Danish implementation of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
Denmark’s Biodiversity Strategy
Denmark works towards achieving the global Aichi Targets inter alia through EU’s biodiversity strategy adopted by the European Council in 2011. The basis for Danish efforts in achieving the 2020 biodiversity targets is the environmental and nature protection legislation – which is largely based on EU legislation, and initiatives for protection and preservation of habitats and species.
Denmark has implemented the EU Nature Protection directives consisting of the Birds Protection Directive and the Habitats Directive, which require EU member states to conserve a variety of species and habitats that are rare, endangered or characteristic of EU. Efforts for EU nature protection take place in selected areas (“Natura 2000” areas) which are the backbone of national nature efforts. The EU Water Framework Directive lays down the framework for the protection of streams and lakes, transitional waters (estuaries, lagoons, etc.), coastal waters and groundwater in all EU countries.
The Danish Nature Policy
The Danish Nature Policy – Our Shared Nature is Denmark’s national biodiversity strategy which follows up on the UN Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 including the 20 global Aichi targets. The Danish Nature Policy contributes to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
In addition, a number of national laws in the field of nature conservation and its administration contribute to Denmark's biodiversity efforts. The national laws in which the EU directives are also implemented comprise the Nature Conservation Act, the Environmental Protection Act, the Environmental Code, the Water Act, the Livestock Act, the Forest Act, the Planning Act and the National Park Act.
In Denmark the local governments play a key role in achieving the national 2020 biodiversity goal because the managing authority has been delegated to the city councils.
Danish nature efforts are supported and co-funded by the EU Rural Development Program. This applies for funding of nature conservation in Natura 2000 sites.
Danish national biodiversity reporting
Article 26 of the Convention obligates parties to report on national implementation of the Convention.
Denmark reports on its national biodiversity efforts to both the EU and the CBD. The Danish Country Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity provides an overview of the current status of biodiversity in Denmark and presents how nature initiatives are managed and prioritized at political and practical levels.
Denmark submitted its 5th Country Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity in March 2014. Denmark is preparing the next national Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
In 2015, the EU Commission conducted a mid-term review of how far the EU has come to meet the objectives of the EU's biodiversity strategy. By 2020, the extent to which the goal of stopping biodiversity loss by 2020 will be assessed in both EU and UN regimes.
The Nagoya Protocol
Denmark ratified the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization in 2014. The protocol is implemented through the EU regulation (EU) No. 511/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and through the Danish Act on sharing benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.