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2002 October Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Appendix A—"Invasive Alien" As Defined by the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
(i) "alien species" refers to a species, subspecies or lower taxon, introduced outside its normal past or present normal distribution; includes any part, gametes, seeds, eggs, or propagules of such species that might survive and subsequently reproduce; (ii) "invasive alien species" refers to an alien species whose establishment and spread threaten ecosystems, habitats or species with economic or environmental harm (for the purposes of the present guiding principles, the term "invasive alien species" shall be deemed the same as "alien invasive species" in decision V/8 of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.); (iii) "introduction" refers to the movement, by human agency, of a species, subspecies or lower taxon (including any part, gametes, seeds, eggs, propagules that might survive and subsequently reproduce) outside of its natural range (past or present). This movement can be either within a country or between countries; (iv) "intentional introduction" refers to the purposeful movement by humans of a species outside its natural range and dispersal potential (such introductions may be authorized or unauthorized); (v) "unintentional introduction" refers to a species utilizing unwitting humans or human delivery systems as vectors to disperse and become established outside its natural range, and (vi) "establishment" refers to the process of a species in a new habitat successfully reproducing at a level sufficient to ensure continual survival without infusion of new genetic material from outside the system.
Source: Guiding Principles for the Prevention, Introduction and Mitigation of Impacts of Alien Species that Threaten Ecosystems, Habitat or Species. Report of the Sixth Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, April 2002