Importance
Plants are universally recognized as a vital part of the world’s biological diversity and an essential resource for the planet. In addition to the small number of crop plants used for basic food and fibres, many thousands of wild plants have great economic and cultural importance and potential, providing food, medicine, fuel, clothing and shelter for vast numbers of people throughout the world. Plants also play a key role in maintaining the planet's basic environmental balance and ecosystem stability, and provide an important component of the habitats for the world's animal life.

Status, trends and causes of biodiversity loss
At present we do not have a complete inventory of the plants of the world, but it is estimated that the total number may be on the order of 300,000 species. Many of these species are in danger of extinction, threatened by habitat transformation, over-exploitation, alien invasive species, pollution and climate change. The disappearance of such vital and large amounts of biodiversity sets one of the greatest challenges for the world community: to halt the destruction of the plant diversity that is so essential to meet the present and future needs of humankind.

How the issue is being addressed under the CBD
In 2002, the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, by decision VI/9, adopted the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. The Strategy’s ultimate and long-term objective is to halt the current and continuing loss of plant diversity. The Strategy also considers issues of sustainable use and benefit-sharing, and aims to contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development.

The Strategy includes 16 outcome-oriented global targets set for 2010, and provides a framework to facilitate harmony between existing initiatives aimed at plant conservation, to identify gaps where new initiatives are required, and to promote mobilization of the necessary resources.  National and/or regional targets for plant conservation may be developed within this flexible framework.

The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) is the first such strategy to be developed under the CBD, and provided a pilot exercise for the development and use of outcome targets under the Strategic Plan of the CBD. Plants were chosen as the focus of this exercise because scientific understanding of this group—though incomplete and best for the higher plants—is better than for most other kinds of life, allowing for the setting of meaningful targets.

The development of the Strategy, and continuing work under the GSPC, has benefited from a number of consultations and submissions of views from Parties, and from supporting resolutions and related initiatives. Documents and notifications arising from these processes are available.

In order to further advance implementation of the Strategy, the CBD has established a flexible coordination mechanism, including the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation.