biodiversity clearing-house mechanism

A network of parties and partners working together to facilitate implementation of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, which was signed in Rio at the 1992 Earth Summit. The Convention created a mechanism to translate the goal of partnerships and cooperation into action: the clearing house mechanism. It also facilitates access to and exchange of information on biodiversity around the world. Created in accordance with Article 18, the Clearing House is a key to archiving the Convention's three principal objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources.