Biodiversity includes genetic differences within species, the diversity of species and the variety of ecosystems. It is the result of the interaction of species, including humans, with one another and with the air, water and soil around them. The Convention on Biological Diversity, also known as the CBD, seeks to preserve the diversity of life forms through conservation and sustainable use. Since the adoption of the Convention, the Conference of the Parties has met seven times and, on each occasion, has, through its decisions, taken steps necessary to translate the general provisions of the Convention into practical action. Until 2000, these decisions had been available only in separate publications, each covering the work of a particular meeting of the Conference of the Parties. That year saw the publication of the first edition of this Handbook. This third edition of the Handbook continues to reflect the latest developments in the Convention process. Specifically, this edition contains the outcomes of the sev enth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 7), as well as the decisions from the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP-1), both held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in February 2004.