Burundi ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1997 and is therefore committed to working towards the achievement of its three objectives, which are: (i) the conservation of biological diversity; (ii) the sustainable use of its components and; (iii) the equitable sharing of benefits arising from the exploitation of genetic resources, in particular through satisfactory access to genetic resources and appropriate transfer of relevant techniques, taking into account all rights to these resources and to the techniques and thanks to a adequate financing (article 1).

In order to implement the Convention, in 2000, Burundi developed a National Strategy and Action Plan on Biological Diversity (SNPA-DB) as well as a National Strategy and Action Plan for Capacity Building in the field of Biological Diversity (SNPA-RC/DB) in 2004. The implementation of all these strategies did not achieve the expected results, in particular due to the fact that after their adoption, Burundi did not put in place the necessary tools for this purpose, in particular: (i) a program with indicators to operationalize the strategies and measure the progress made; (ii) a communication, education and public awareness strategy to ensure the awareness of all stakeholders; (iii) sectoral integration plans biodiversity issues in other policies sectoral; (iv) a financing plan for the implementation of these strategies.

Burundi has now revised its National Strategy and Action Plan on Biological Diversity (SNPA-DB) - twelve years after its development - following a participatory process that involved all actors interested in the field of biodiversity. This revision aimed in particular at taking into account the various thematic programmes and the transversal issues of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The SNPAB 2013-2020 adopted Burundi's vision for biodiversity, which reads as follows: “By 2030, biological diversity is restored, conserved and rationally used by all actors, ensuring the maintenance of ecosystem services and guaranteeing essential benefits for current and future generations.”

The development of this Strategic Plan for Development and Capacity Building in the field of biodiversity therefore operationalizes the SNPAB and is inspired by the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. It aims to identify how all stakeholders can - by 2020 - acquire, strengthen, adapt and maintain skills to ensure the restoration, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

The Strategic Plan for Development and Capacity Building is structured around the following 5 strategic axes: (i) involvement and commitment of all stakeholders, including decision-makers to action for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; (ii) development and implementation of tools and techniques to stop the pressures exerted on biological diversity; (iii) preservation of a representative set of ecosystems, species and genetic resources of the country; (iv) development and implementation of tools and techniques to stop the pressures exerted on biological diversity; (iii) protection of a representative set of the country's ecosystems, species and genetic resources; (iv)) valorization of benefits drawn from biodiversity and ecosystem services; (v) participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building