Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Biodiversity has influenced our cultural history and the identity of our nation and provides many direct and indi- rect benefits for our society [ ] 106 Biodiversity considerations favourably integrated into Finnish legislation In 2006 the Finnish government adopted the new National Biodi- versity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) “Saving nature for people” 2006–2016. The goals were to halt the decline in biodiversity by 2010, estab- lish favourable trends in the state of the natural environment, to effec- tively implement the goals set, and to strengthen Finland’s role in the preservation of biodiversity globally through international cooperation. In 2012, the Finnish government approved an updated Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Finland 2012–2020, in line with the decisions made in Nagoya in 2010 including the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The mid-term review showed that work to implement the strategy has primarily progressed well in various administrative branches, but that considerably more effective measures are needed to succeed by 2020. As a party to the CBD, Finland is committed to promote the conserva- tion and sustainable use of biodiversity in activities through all sectors of so- ciety, and biodiversity considerations have been favourably integrated into new and revised Finnish legislation. The objectives of the NBSAP to preserve biodiversity and actions required have found interest in the public at large. Thanks to increased research and monitoring, much data is now available on biodiversity in Finland, enabling the establishment of both knowledge-sharing mech- anisms, for instance on indicators and on the state of biodiversity in general. This in turn provides a basis for changes in the way that we act, the commitment we make and for increasing recognition of the value of biodiversity in Finland and globally. Additionally, the Finnish biodiversity communications programme and its updates have good outcomes for awareness raising and the support of decision makers of the values of biodiversity. Finland has also promoted synergies between the six biodiversity-related conventions for strengthening implementation of the biodiversity strategy and its Aichi targets more effectively. The Cartagena Protocol on Bi- osafety became binding in Finland in 2004. The national level imple- mentation has been done by the Gene Technology Act (1995). The Act includes, among others, provisions on the competent authorities that are the Ministry for Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry. The Board for Gene Technology operates at a practical level as a supervisory body. Finland became a State Party to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing in 2016, when the Act for the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity was adopted by parliament. F inland has promoted and implemented the conservation, management and sustainable use of biodiversity for more than two decades on the basis of the principles defined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Between 1996 and 1997 the first National Action Plan for Biodiversity in Finland was drawn up by the National Biodiversity Committee, which has brought together representatives of ministries, key business sectors, research institutes, environmental organizations, the Sámi people and other stakeholder groups. The first plan covered 1997 to 2005, and included 124 measures designed to promote the CBD goals and targets, to be implemented by 2005. Lake Inari Inarinjarvi Luoto Finland