Expressing the need for the Senate to provide advice and consent to ratification of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

Key Points

• Rep. Stansbury introduced a proposal asking the Senate to officially join an international agreement called the Convention on Biological Diversity. While the U.S. signed this agreement in 1993, it is currently the only country in the United Nations that has not fully joined it.
• Because the U.S. has not joined the treaty, American officials can only attend international meetings about nature as observers. This means the U.S. does not get a vote when other countries make rules about protecting wildlife, even though those rules can affect American businesses and national security.
• The resolution argues that the U.S. already follows most of the treaty's rules through its own current laws. Joining officially would not require major changes to how the country operates, but it would give the U.S. a seat at the table to lead on global conservation efforts.
• Supporters say this move is urgent because nearly 1 million species worldwide are at risk of disappearing forever. They believe the U.S. needs to regain its role as a world leader in science and nature protection to help solve this global crisis.

Impact Analysis

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