Overall, the UK Government is responsible for fulfilling the UK’s commitments as a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as the lead government department. However, in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the responsibility for most policy areas relating to the implementation of the CBD is devolved to their respective national governments. As England has no devolved national government, the responsibility remains with the UK Government.
The UK also has responsibilities towards 14 Overseas Territories and 3 Crown Dependencies. Information is provided on how the CBD is implemented in these territories.
Financial resources are available for the implementation of the CBD. The respective Governments of the UK provide funding within the UK for biodiversity conservation activities in their territories. The UK Government also provides funding outside the UK for biodiversity-related projects, including in the UK’s Overseas Territories.
All Parties to the CBD are required to submit reports on the measures they have taken to implement the provisions of the Convention. Further information is provided on the UK’s reporting to the CBD.
Each country that is a Party to the CBD establishes one or more people as National Focal Points, who represent their Government in its routine dealings with the Secretariat of the CBD. The CBD website provides the UK’s National Focal Points for the CBD.
