Protecting the earth's biological resources involves legal as well as economic, political, and cultural elements, and must have an international dimension. Biodiversity is ultimately conserved or lost because of community and individual decisions about the use of land and resources, but those local decisions are routinely influenced by international law and policies.  

All too often, current national and international policies facilitate destructive exploitation by national and international companies and governments, at the expense of local communities that depend on sustainable use of forests and fisheries for basic needs.  Many elements of the national and international legal frameworks needed to ensure conservation and sustainable use do not yet exist. The elements that do exist are often poorly enforced.  CIEL promotes reforms needed to improve this framework, as described below in other sections of the Biodiversity Program pages.