The United Nations Rio+20 outcome document “The Future We
Want,” highlighted the critical role of biological diversity or biodiversity in
short, in maintaining ecosystems that provide essential services which are the
foundation for sustainable development and human well-being.
Biodiversity is responsible for providing food and water,
for buffering the impacts of climate change, controlling the outbreak of
diseases and supporting nutrient cycling. Biodiversity is also the foundation
of many spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits. The recently released
Africa Environment Outlook underlined that Africa's biological diversity
supports human health, as a major source of food, medicines and ecosystem
services. Eighty per cent of Africa's rural population depends on traditional
medicine. In Zimbabwe, 50 species of mushrooms, 25 species of fruit and 50
species of leafy vegetables are harvested from the wild.
Unfortunately, too few recognise the importance of
biological diversity. Fewer still are mobilizing the tools and resources needed to ensure its
conservation and sustainable use. With the loss of biodiversity continuing
unabated, it is important to act now to create a future of life in harmony with
nature, the future we want.
Tools are at hand to achieve this future of
sustainability. The Millennium Development Goals remain important instruments
for biodiversity. Their realization will also provide a much-needed boost for
the post-2015 development agenda and the sustainable development goals under
discussion.
The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, agreed by
193 Parties under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity
provides a road-map to safeguard the diversity of life. The plan’s 20 Aichi
Biodiversity Targets relate not only to conservation, but also to addressing
the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across
all sectors of government and society. Overall, the Targets aim to bring about
change to our lifestyles, and to our development paradigm – in a direction that recognizes biodiversity as the foundation for sustainable development and
poverty alleviation.
African countries are leading in creating the National
Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, as 51 out of 54 counties have
completed this exercise. Many have even up-dated these strategies to emphasize
the mainstreaming of biodiversity into economic activity. More are on the way.
I urge you all to continue your efforts in this regard.
African nations have also been at the forefront of the
negotiation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair
and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the
Convention on Biological Diversity. Twenty-nine African countries are
signatories and 6 of the 14 ratifications as of today, are from African
countries. The Nagoya Protocol will create greater legal certainty and
transparency for both providers and users of genetic resources. The Protocol
can, in light of this, help unlock the economic potential of biodiversity and
meaningfully contribute to the sustainable development agenda. I congratulate
countries who have ratified or acceded to the Protocol for sending a clear
signal of their commitment to its entry into force and. I encourage other
countries to follow suit to ensure the timely entry into force of this
important international instrument.
On this Africa Environment Day, when we also reflect on
the work and legacy of Dr. Wangari Maathai, who tirelessly promoted the need to
live in harmony with nature, let us celebrate the successes in sustaining our
environment. Let these sustain greater efforts in support of the Convention on
Biological Diversity, and on all the environmental work we must carry out. This
is for our sake, for the sake of Africa’s children, and for the sake of life on
earth.
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