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Together with the CIC Applied Science and Culture Divisions, the aim of the Policy and Law Division (PLD) is to advocate the benefits of conservation through the sustainable use of wildlife. In today’s political landscape, science alone is often not enough to promote the benefits of sustainable use. The three pillars of sustainability: economy, ecology and social matters, are all linked to the work of the Division.

The principle of sustainable use is widely recognised in the United Nations (UN) and other international conventions. Within the field of biodiversity conservation, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has established the sustainable use of the components of biological diversity as one of the three pillars of the CBD. This is further strengthened under the CBD by the Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines for the Sustainable use of Biodiversity. The PLD aligns itself with these principles and strives to identify mutually beneficial activities in promoting them.