Framework of International Agreements

Practically all the countries in the region have signed and ratified the CBD, and most are signatories of the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD), the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In addition, 18 countries have signed the 1940 Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western Hemisphere. Subregional agreements include the Treaty on Amazon Cooperation (TCA) and the Central American Commission on Environment and Development, which produced the Central American Convention on Biodiversity and Protection of Wild Areas of 1992 (Nolet, 1995).

Several countries have recognized the importance of biodiversity in their national legislation. For instance, the Brazilian Constitution contains special provisions for biodiversity. These conventions and agreements are an indication of political will but have not always translated to a concrete commitment of financial resources to environmental protection and biodiversity conservation.