The article discusses the evolution of the international policy and mechanisms of biodiversity protection in the period of 1992–2019, the main stages of this process, the policy’s structure and key areas. The urgency of the global problem of extinction of biological species is demonstrated. A special focus is made on the negotiations concerning the protection and use of global biodiversity and the impediments to reaching the consensus on these matters, in particular, development of a single global policy. The main documents of the international diplomacy of biodiversity — the Convention on Biological Diversity, Cartagena Protocol and Nagoya Protocol — are analyzed. The article also describes the role of different groups of states involved in shaping the conference agenda, their positions and interests.