The Biological Diversity Act, 2002

An Act to provide for conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the use of biological resources, knowledge and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

WHEREAS India is rich in biological diversity and associated traditional and contemporary knowledge system relating thereto.

AND WHEREAS India is a ¹[Party] to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity signed at Rio de Janeiro on the 5th day of June, 1992;

AND WHEREAS the said Convention came into force on the 29th December, 1993;

AND WHEREAS the said Convention reaffirms the sovereign rights of the States over their biological resources;

AND WHEREAS the said Convention has the main objective of conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of utilisation of genetic resources; ²[AND WHEREAS India is a Party to the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation to the convention on Biological Diversity which was adopted on the 29th October, 2010 in Nagoya, Japan;

AND WHEREAS it is considered necessary to provide for conservation, sustainable utilisation, fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of utilisation of biological resources and also to give effect to the said Convention.]

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Fifty-third Year of the Republic of India as follows:—