Q5(c). Write briefly on the following: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I)

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

Adopted at Rio Earth Summit, 1992, CBD is a global treaty with three pillars:

1. Conservation of biodiversity
2. Sustainable use of biological resources
3. Fair and equitable benefit-sharing

India is a signatory and enacted the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, establishing the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA). The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022) under CBD aims to protect 30% of land and oceans by 2030 (30×30 target). India has created over 8000 Biodiversity Management Committees and People’s Biodiversity Registers to document local species.

Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I)

SIGNED in 1991 between the US and the Soviet Union, START I was the first treaty to mandate deep cuts in nuclear weapons. It:

• Reduced deployed strategic warheads to 6,000
• Limited delivery systems (ICBMs, SLBMs, bombers)
• Introduced on-site inspections, boosting transparency

START I laid the foundation for later arms-control agreements like New START (2010). India, though not a party, supports global nuclear disarmament guided by its doctrine of “credible minimum deterrence.”