'Humanity has been gambling for generations with the extent to which it can degrade nature and continue to prosper. Now the environmental debt is being called in and the ability of international diplomacy and law, government policy and political will to deal with the issues is being tested. Conservation, Biodiversity and International Law is a must read for any practitioner in the high-stakes business of restoring our ability to live in harmony with the natural world that sustains us.'
- Alastair Morrison, Department of Conservation, New Zealand 'Biodiversity is the cornerstone of life - our plants, animals, and ecosystems are essential for livelihoods and have shaped our culture and traditions around the world. However our precious biodiversity is at risk as never before. Global targets to reduce biodiversity loss have not been met and we continue to lose biodiversity at an unprecedented rate. In fact we are currently in the middle of an extinction crisis and scientists have advised that one species from our planet is being lost every 38 minutes! The nature of this crisis and the actions taken to address it are clearly and articulately put forward in this landmark book by Professor Al Gillespie. This book is particularly useful in documenting the many policy and legal actions that have been taken to address these issues, and how the application of these instruments can be improved. Although focused on the law, the book covers a range of disciplines including science, philosophy and policy which lay the foundation for international law. This book makes a major and highly valued contribution to the disciple of environmental law and policy and is an invaluable reference for policy makers, practitioners and academic audiences.'
- David Sheppard, CEO of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)

This important and timely book provides a rigorous overview of the defining issues presently facing conservation at international level. The author provides detailed coverage of topics ranging from the classification of species right through to access and benefit sharing, drawing on his personal experience at intergovernmental level. Each question is examined through the prism of dozens of treaties and hundreds of decisions and resolutions of the key multilateral regimes, and the law in each area is supplemented by the necessary considerations of science politics and philosophy - providing much-needed context for the reader.

Combining expert scholarship and first-hand insight, Conservation, Biodiversity and International Law will be an invaluable resource for researchers and practitioners in international environmental law, as well as providing an accessible guide for students.