Darwin Initiative

The Darwin Initiative is a UK Government funding program that aims to assist countries with rich biodiversity but poor financial resources to meet their objectives under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

The Darwin Initiative was announced by the UK Government in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It was established as a non-departmental public body of DETR, moving to DEFRA on its formation in 2001.

In 2010 DEFRA provided annual funding of £7 Million. This will be increased during the period to 2014.

The Darwin Initiative is managed by the Darwin Advisory Committee (DAC), and currently chaired by Professor David Macdonald. The first chairman was Sir Crispin Tickell who was succeeded by Professor David S. Ingram in 1999. Ingram held the post until handing over to Macdonald in 2005.

The DAC comprises experts from government, academic, science and the private sector.

The DAC's Terms of Reference state its purpose to be

"To advise the Secretary of State for the Environment on the principles and objectives of the Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species grant programme in implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity especially Article 5, taking into account the past experience of the grant programme."

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