Background
Created in 1993, the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Research on Biological Resources is the biodiversity research branch of the National Environmental System (Sina). The institute is a civil nonprofit corporation linked to the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. The Institute is responsible for carrying out scientific research on biodiversity in Colombia. This includes research on hydrobiological and genetic resources. In addition, the Institute coordinates the National System of Information on Biodiversity and the formation of the national biodiversity inventory.
Keeping in mind that biodiversity provides essential services for health and development, not only for particular species with nutritious and medicinal attributes, but also for ecosystems that, if are kept in their state, regulate the climate and water, and control the diffusion of infectious diseases. Within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity, ratified by Colombia in 1994, the Institute generates the necessary knowledge to evaluate the state of biodiversity of Colombia and to make sustainable decisions in relation to biodiversity.
The constitution committee of the Institute was celebrated on January 20, 1995 in Villa de Leyva, in the Department of Boyacá. The Constitution Act was signed by 24 founding members that included state entities, universities and nongovernmental organizations.
Legal Framework
The Institute’s work is framed by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) signed by Colombia in the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Summit and ratified by mandate 165 of 1994. The agreement has the three fundamental pillars of conservation, sustainable use of biodiversity and equal and fair distribution of benefits derived from the use of genetic resources. The CBD parties are expected to implement biodiversity work in their respective territories. Within this international frame, the Colombian National Biodiversity Policy was created with its three strategic pillars: to be informed, to conserve, and to use sustainably. For the first time, the country has developed a National Plan of Action for Biodiversity, an operational tool to initiate plans to cover the three dimensions of the Policy.
The institute was created as a mixed entity of science and technology, governed by the norms of private right and administrative autonomy. These parameters were established by mandate 99 of 1993 which authorized the Nation to be associated with private entities, in accordance with the parameters established by the mandate 29 of 1990 and its statutory decrees. Mandate 99 of 1993 specifies the functions of the Institute which are centered on scientific and technological investigation on biodiversity, to promote the establishment of research stations throughout the country, to provide consulting to entities that make up the Sina and to construct the National Biodiversity Inventory of Colombia.
The decrees 1600 and 1603 of 1994 state additional functions related with the information system. Normative developments in the past have assigned other functions related to botanical gardens (mandate 299 of 1996 and Decree 31 of 1998), the scientific authority of Cites (Decree 1420 of 1997) and the registering of biological collections (Decree 309 of 2000).
The largest directive body of the Institute is the General Assembly which is comprised of founding and active members. This body is responsible for the statute approvals and for establishing general policies of the entity, electing the Board of Directors and the fiscal reviewer, and for approving annual reports. Furthermore,the Board of Directors is responsible for following up on plans and programs, accepting new members and support, and supervising the institutional structure and operations. The Board of Directors appoints the General Director who acts as the legal representative and is responsible for institutional operations.
Mission
To promote, coordinate and develop the scientific research that contributes to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity as a means to achieving sustainable development and protecting the well-being of the Colombian population.
Vision
The Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Research on Biological Resources will engage in skilled, expert research in order to contribute to the knowledge, conservation, and sustainable use of biodiversity. The Institute will work jointly with a network of multiple organizations with the objective of influencing decision making processes and public policies.
Institutional Principles
Inadmissible and unalterable agreements made collectively for the organization members. For the IAVH, the following has been established:
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Affirmation of life. We recognize the intrinsic value of biodiversity and we work to conserve life in its diverse manifestations.
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Cooperation. In collaboration with others, we work to strengthen capacities of knowledge, conservation and biodiversity use. Together, we manage and exchange information and research results.
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Technical and scientific criteria. We give precedence to general interest of the particular, providing pertinent information for the generating of policies and the decision making involving biodiversity.
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Recognition and integration of know-how. We recognize and respect the diverse forms of research and of existing knowledge. We promote the preservation, development and articulation of this knowledge for the informing, conservation, and sustainable use of biodiversity.
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Recognition of cultural diversity. We recognize and respect the different cultures with their own forms of perceiving, managing and using biological diversity.
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The sustainable use of biodiversity as a means of assuring the well-being of the population. We are looking for a balance between conservation and the use of biodiversity for the improvement of the quality of life for the Colombian population. This includes tangible as well as intangible conditions such as economic, social, and ecological conditions.
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Principle of precaution. We operate under the principle of precaution for developing our research agenda and for alerting any possibility of biodiversity risk. In this way, we aim to provide policy recommendations that will act as a basis for decision making.
