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When it comes to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the U.S. stands with…Somalia and Andorra? Maybe it’s time we join the 192 other countries.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the flagship international convention for protecting, wilderness and the diversity of life on this planet. It’s the only international mechanism that addresses biodiversity writ large (as opposed to treaties focusing on individual species, or individual biomes such as wetlands) and it’s also the only treaty that focuses on establishing a comprehensive global network of protected areas, including wilderness protected areas. The CBD is the key mechanism for promoting international cooperation on protecting nature.

It’s also a treaty in desperate need of an injection of energy and enthusiasm. The global community is about to miss the 2010 biodiversity reduction targets set under the CBD and the CBD’s work is badly overshadowed by climate change negotiations. Despite the urgent need to prop up the CBD and make it a much more effective global platform, the US has yet to ratify the treaty. To make matters worse, we are one of only three countries that has failed to do so. How did this come about?

In the summer of 1992, the community of nations gathered in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED – often referred to as the “Earth Summit”). The 1980s had seen an increase in concern over global environmental degradation – prompted in part by alarming coverage of the burning Amazon forest in international media – and a consensus had emerged that something had to be done. UNCED was chosen as the place and time where the global community would unite to craft a comprehensive global response to the planet’s environmental ills.

Three United Nations conventions emerged from this landmark gathering: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). These three conventions, usually referred to as the Rio Conventions, were a major breakthrough. They were clearly imperfect documents – and unfinished because they required, and will continue to require supplementary protocols. Nevertheless, the Rio Conventions provided a framework for an integrated response to global environmental decline. They represent a remarkable political consensus.

The US ratified the UNFCCC and UNCCD, but did not ratify the CBD. The US’ concerns were that CBD provisions calling for technology transfer to developing countries could threaten US intellectual property interests, and that the obligations for financial aid under the CBD were vague. These concerns, however, were not shared by other developed nations: the vast majority of countries signed and ratified the CBD. In fact, as of a few weeks ago, only the US, Iraq, Somalia and Andorra had yet to sign on. With Iraq’s accession to the CBD in late July, the US, Somalia and Andorra are now the only remaining holdouts. The graphic below illustrates this strange reality.

Fortunately, there are signs that the Obama Administration is considering pushing for ratification of the CBD. That will of course require the cooperation of the US Senate, and prospects for success are still unclear. With a little luck, however, the US may finally be able to join the CBD in the near future. The US already makes major contributions to international conservation efforts, so acceding to the CBD will not place a significant new burden on government resources. Instead, it will send a powerful message that the US stands united with the global community to protect the diversity of life on earth and our planet’s remaining wilderness resources. The US, Somalia and Andorra is an exclusive club – but membership in the CBD would be much, much better.

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