The private sector has long been identified as an important partner of international organizations in their achievement of development goals.
This is no different for the biodiversity-related Multi-lateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) that have specific biodiversity goals that require the participation of the private sector in order to see them come to fruition.
For example, the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) has singled out the private sector as an important player in the conservation, sustainable use of biodiversity, as well as the equitable sharing of benefits that are derived from this resource (see decision VIII/17).
For this reason, UNCTAD, in cooperation with the International Finance Cooperation (IFC), held a meeting to bring together the Secretariats of MEAs like CITES, CBD, UNCCD/Global Mechanism and Ramsar and members of the private sector involved in natural ingredients in the foods and cosmetics sector on 11 May 2007. Discussions and presentations addressed ways in which these conventions can better engage business in this particular sector and, reciprocally, how the private sector could contribute more to the implementation of these Agreements.
