German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN)

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International Nature Conservation

Nature knows no political boundaries. What applies to the ranges of plants and animals applies equally to many environmental and conservation issues. The consequences of overexploiting nature are often felt far afield and in other countries (one example is climate change). On the other hand, it is precisely the highly industrialized nations which make extensive use of natural resources in other countries. This makes it essential to cooperate at international level to solve shared problems in the realm of nature conservation.

International conservation project; BfN president Prof. Dr. Beate Jessel; workshop on biosphere reserves in Ethiopia

International Projects

BfN contributes to numerous projects worldwide. This collaboration takes place within the context of international agreements and programmes, in connection with bilateral and multilateral projects, and together with diverse international organisations.

International Projects

Teamworking (photo: BfN/INA)

Capacity Building and technical Exchange

At the International Academy for Nature Conservation (INA) on the isle of Vilm BfN organises training sessions, conferences and workshops on current nature conservation topics. These events provide opportunities for capacity building, discussions, exchange of experiences and for international networking.

International Academy

Bilaterale Zusammenarbeit, Delegation aus dem Kosovo zu Besuch im Nationalpark Berchtesgaden

Bilateral agreements

Germany is involved with nature conservation on an international level already for several decades, with a focus on particular regions. To underpin the bilateral environmental cooperation politically, Germany made agreements with countries worldwide.

Bilateral agreements

International agreement; Hubert Weinzierl, Michail Gorbatschow, Jürgen Trittin; Conference on the European Green Belt in Bonn

International Agreements and Programmes

International conservation activities of this kind take place at multilateral and particularly at bilateral level, and within the setting established by agreements and programmes. Depending upon the issue at hand, many states and orgnaizations may be involved. International agreements can be grouped into global international agreements that are open in principle to all states, and regional international agreements with a specific geographic scope (such as Europe).
International Agreements and Programmes

Regulations under European Law

Regulations under European Law

European law today regulates a great number of issues relevant to nature conservation. The Birds Directive and Habitats Directive are key instruments of European law.
Regulations under European law

Cooperation with international organisations; Sigmar Gabriel; Conference of Parties to the CBD

International Organisations

International governmental and non-governmental organisations play an important role in international conservation. The Federal Republic of Germany is a member of the key international organisations and bodies of relevance to nature conservation, such as UNEP, UNESCO and IUCN. Not only the federal government is active in the international conservation arena. The individual Länder of Germany and a broad array of associations and other organisations also cooperate with partners worldwide to jointly solve conservation problems.

International Organisations

Last Change: 28/01/2020

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