Promoting the effective implementation of existing international agreements of relevance to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and in particular the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Flora (CITES), the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (the Ramsar Convention), and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.
Promoting the speedy ratification of agreements relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity (e.g. The World Heritage Convention, the Convention to Combat Desertification, and the Framework Convention on Climate Change).
In ratifying the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), governments demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding the planet's biotic wealth, recognising that the conservation of global biodiversity is a common concern of all nations. The implementation of the CBD, through national policy and strategy actions is the responsibility of a variety of agencies, from national through to provincial and local level. This means that cooperative governance within national, provincial, and local spheres will be necessary for the effective implementation of the CBD. Cross-sectoral cooperation within each sphere of government will also be crucial, given that biodiversity issues are of relevance to virtually every government institution.