Nagoya Protocol meeting builds momentum towards entry into force

Montreal, 6 July 2012. With a spirit of compromise and constructive engagement, Governments concluded a week-long meeting where they advanced in the preparations for the entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing.

At the second meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol (ICNP), held in New Delhi this week, some 500 delegates agreed on recommendations relating to key issues for the entry into force and implementation of the ground-breaking treaty on the use of genetic resources.

The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization, agreed in 2010 at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, will enter into force 90 days after 50 Parties have ratified it. As of today, five countries have ratified and 93 have signed.

During the meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee, Parties demonstrated their commitment to early ratification of the Protocol and their ongoing efforts to expedite the required domestic procedures to that effect. It is expected that before the end of the year a number will have completed the necessary domestic steps and formally deposited their instrument of ratification with the Secretary-General.

The Committee advanced recommendations on compliance, capacity-building, awareness-raising, a clearing-house, guidance to the financial mechanism, resource mobilization and a global mechanism for benefit-sharing in preparation for the first meeting of the governing body of the Protocol, which is expected to take place in 2014.

The Committee also forwarded recommendations regarding the Nagoya Protocol to the upcoming eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11) which is scheduled to take place in Hyderabad, India from 8 to 19 October 2012. COP 11 will be asked to ensure that continued support can be provided for awareness-raising and capacity-building in support of ratification of the Protocol. The Committee also recommended to the Conference of the Parties that it should hold another meeting in order to complete its work in preparation for entry into force of the Protocol.

Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity said: “Parties have demonstrated that they are committed to bringing the Nagoya Protocol into force. Their discussions over the week were constructive and they advanced on the key issues that will need to be agreed by entry into force of the Protocol.”

He added that: “During the week, a number of Parties also communicated the status of ratification, and indicated that they are working with all speed to enable the legislation and policies that are needed to ensure ratification.”

In-session documents of the meeting, including recommendations for adoption, are available at:

http://www.cbd.int/icnp2/in-session/

The postponement of the Second meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing

With reference to notification 2012-22 of 3 February 2012 concerning the postponement of the Second meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing, I wish to inform you that the meeting will be held on 2 6 July 2012 at the Vigyan Bhawan Convention Center in New Delhi, India. The capacity-building workshop on access and benefit-sharing will be held on 30 June – 1 July 2012 at the same venue.

With respect to registration for these meetings, please note that participants already registered will be automatically registered for the new dates and therefore do not need to register again. Those who had not yet registered for the meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee and the capacity-building workshop are invited to do so by 30 March 2012.

For more details on the procedure for designating representatives for the meetings, please refer to notifications 2011-233 (Parties) and 2011-232 (International organizations and relevant stakeholders), available on the Secretariat’s website: http://www.cbd.int/notifications/.

Partnership forged between Japan Committee for the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Kanazawa, Japan, 20 December 2011– The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Japan Committee for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCNJ) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a view to promoting greater awareness amongst civil society organisations in Japan and abroad and join forces for the successful implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Targets.

The MoU, which was signed in Kanazawa City, Japan, on 19 December 2011 at the margins of the official launch of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, was also endorsed by Communication, Education and Public Awareness Japan (CEPA Japan) and the Japan Civil Network for the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity (JCN-UNDB).

The agreement highlights the crucial role civil society plays in implementing the Nagoya Biodiversity Compact, and contributes to the success of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity and the Aichi Targets. It also stresses the importance of working together with international partners in order to raise awareness of civil society and to better support conservation and biodiversity action at the local level. It must be noted that the very idea of a United Nations Decade on Biodiversity was generated by the Japan civil society.

Through the MoU, the signatories—Mr. Masahito Yoshida, Chair of IUCNJ, Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Mr. Masahiro Kawatei, Representative of CEPA Japan, and Mr. Susumu Takayama, Representative of JCN-UNDB—agreed to cooperate in several areas, including in the development and global dissemination of communication and outreach materials on biodiversity and in mobilizing the commitment of local government, private sector, youth, academia and civil society organizations through, inter alia, the Niju-maru campaign.

The Niju-maru is a campaign led by the Organization for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement International, in close collaboration with CEPA Japan, which encourages commitment by Japan-based stakeholders to the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. “Commitment of all sectors is required in order to achieve Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020. I believe that the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the CBD Secretariat and Japan Committee for IUCN today will mobilize the participation of all sectors through outreach programme including the Niju-maru project and CEPA,” said Masahito Yoshida.

 

Ahmed Djoghlaf said: “The Japan Civil Network played a key role in supporting the designation by the United Nations General Assembly of 2011-2020 as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity. By reiterating their commitment today and by coordinating their efforts, IUCNJ and its partners are demonstrating the sincere will of civil society to take action to reach the goals set by the international community.”

A message from Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the CBD, on the occasion of the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation

The global South comprises more than 70 per cent of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Developing countries face tremendous challenges in halting the loss of biodiversity and mitigating the risks of biodiversity losses. For the least developed countries, the landlocked developing countries, small island developing States and Africa in general, the requirements for capacity-development require not only North-South cooperation for sustainable development. South-South cooperation, as a complement to North-South cooperation, remains an important force for the successful preservation of biodiversity.

Hence, South-South cooperation is one of the key modalities for enhancing the implementation of this vital Convention at the service of the legitimate development needs of the developing countries Parties.

As developing and emerging countries consolidate their achievements in the implementation of the Convention, and as their capacity to assist other partners grows, the Convention needs South-South and triangular cooperation as cornerstones of its strategy to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. South-South cooperation should be encouraged, within the Convention, and in the broader context of scientific and technical cooperation, as defined by articles 16, 17 and 18 of the Convention. It can also be linked to biodiversity technology transfer and the discussions towards a Biodiversity Technology Initiative.

Last year in Nagoya, just prior to the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, a South-South Cooperation Forum on Biodiversity for Development was convened by the G-77 and China, adopting a Multi-Year Plan of Action for South-South Cooperation on Biodiversity for Development as a complement to the G-77 Development Platform for the South launched in June 2008 at the twelfth session of the Intergovernmental Follow-up and Coordination Committee on Economic Cooperation among Developing Countries in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire. Subsequently, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention adopted decision X/23, which encourages Parties and other Governments to further contribute to the development of the Plan and calls on regional organizations, United Nations and development agencies, non-governmental organizations and other donors to support the finalization of the Plan of Action for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its eleventh meeting, to be held in Hyderabad, India, in October next year.

In this sense, I also welcome the proactive support of the Government of the Republic of Korea, through its National Institute for Biological Resources (NIBR), hosting the Third Expert Meeting for South-South Cooperation on Biodiversity for Development from 18 to 20 May 2011 in Incheon City. The meeting’s output and recommendations will be considered at the next meeting of the Working Group on the Review of Implementation in May 2012 in Montreal, where Parties will also consider the Plan of Action proposed by the Group of 77 and China.

Since 2006, the Group of 77 and China have attached fundamental importance to cooperating with the Secretariat of the Convention in promoting economic and technical cooperation among developing countries through South-South initiatives. As Africa is poised to become the Chair of the Group of 77 for 2012, it is now up to Parties to the Convention to continue to work together to ensure that progress made to date in South-South cooperation can be advanced in the years to come in the arena of sustainable development. I look forward to an active support from Parties to the further development and eventual adoption of a Plan of Action on South-South Cooperation on Biodiversity for Development as a key component of the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. I also look forward to the organization of regular meetings of the South-South forum on biodiversity for development, in partnership with the Group of 77 and China, at the margins of future meetings of the Conference of the Parties to exchange experiences and best practices.

Argentina becomes sixty-seventh signatory of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing

Montreal, 16 November 2011 – Yesterday, 15 November 2011, Argentina became the sixty-seventh signatory 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 (CBD).  The Nagoya Protocol, which was opened for signature in February 2011, will enter into force 90 days after deposit of the fiftieth instrument of ratification.

Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said: “The signing of the Nagoya Protocol by Argentina is further testimony to the growing global commitment and support for efforts to secure a more sustainable future for generations to come. I call on all countries who have not yet done so to sign the Protocol as soon as soon as possible.”

The entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol will provide greater legal certainty and transparency for both providers and users of genetic resources, creating a framework that promotes the use of genetic  resources and associated traditional knowledge while strengthening the opportunities for fair and equitable sharing of benefits from their use. Hence, the Protocol will create new incentives to conserve biodiversity, sustainably use its components, and further enhance the contribution of biodiversity to sustainable development and human well-being.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has provided financial support for the early entry into force and effective implementation of the Nagoya Protocol. The Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund was established by GEF with an initial financial contribution of $12.5 million from Japan. In addition, a medium-sized project of $1 million is providing support to the ratification and early entry into force of the Protocol through a series of awareness-raising and capacity-building activities. The project is being executed by the Convention Secretariat and is now fully operational.

The list of signatories of the Nagoya Protocol is available on the Convention’s website at: www.cbd.int/abs/nagoya-protocol/signatories/

UNESCO launch of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity takes place in Paris

Montreal, 14 November 2011 – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) joined with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to launch the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity at its headquarters in Paris.

The event took place in conjunction with the thirty-sixth session of the UNESCO General Conference and coincided with the launch of the UNESCO Biodiversity Initiative aimed at contributing to the effective implementation of the Strategic Plan on Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The ceremony was presided over by Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, as well as the Deputy Permanent Delegate of Japan to UNESCO, Minister Mr. Tsutomu Koizumi; Mr Jean-Pierre Thebault, the Ambassador for the Environment of France represented Ms Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing of France, as well as Ms Hélène Mandroux, the Mayor of Montpellier, and Mr. Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Over 80 participants attended the ceremony.

Speaking on behalf of the President of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Bio, Minister Koizumi stated that: “The tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties achieved historic results which included the new Strategic Plan for Biodiversity as well as two legally binding protocols. To engage the people of the world in the implementation of the Nagoya results, Japan suggested the celebration of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity and the official launch will take place in Kanazawa city, Japan in December this year.”

Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General, said: “Our new Biodiversity Initiative embodies the integrated, multidisciplinary approach that is required for the sustainable, equitable conservation and use of biodiversity. We are guided by the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity crafted in Nagoya in October 2010 and endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly.”

Speaking on behalf of Minister Nathalie Kosciisko-Morizet, Ambassador Thebault reiterated the commitment of France to promoting the biodiversity agenda as evidenced by its recent signature of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing.

The Mayor of Monpellier, Ms Hélène Mandroux, stressed the role of cities in promoting the biodiversity agenda and announced the convening in January 2012, in partnership with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, of the meeting of mayors and biodiversity of the Mediterranean region as a contribution to the convening of the second summit on cities and biodiversity to be held in Hyderabad, India, in October 2012, back to back with the high-level segment of the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention. Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the Convention to Combat Desertification, highlighted the importance of mutually supportive activities to celebrate the United Nations Decade on desertification and the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity. He presented the results of the first-ever high-level event on desertification convened on 20 September by the United Nations General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session.

Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said: “Last year, UNESCO was the first international organization to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity. Today UNESCO is the first international organization to launch the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity and the first international organization to launch a biodiversity initiative aimed at the effective implementation of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.” Mr. Djoghlaf paid tribute to Ms Bokova, UNESCO Director-General, and her team, as well as to the UNESCO member States for their unique contribution in educating and engaging the people of the world in the biodiversity agenda. He added, “I am glad to count UNESCO as a partner in our work.”

To build support and momentum for this urgent task, the United Nations General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session declared the period 2011-2020 to be “the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, with a view to contributing to the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for the period 2011-2020” (resolution 65/161).

The United Nations Decade on Biodiversity will serve to support the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and promote its overall vision of living in harmony with nature. Its goal is to mainstream biodiversity at different levels. Throughout the United Nations Decade, Governments are encouraged to develop, implement and communicate the results of national strategies for implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity.

Regional launches have been held around the world in 2011. A global event for the Decade will be held in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan from 17 to 19 December 2011.

Uruguay ratifies the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

Montreal, 6 November 2011 – On 2 November 2011, Uruguay deposited its instrument of ratification of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity and will become the 162nd Party to the Protocol on 31 January 2012. The news comes at a time when the Protocol has entered a new implementation phase to be guided by a 10-year strategic plan adopted by the Parties to the Protocol at their most recent meeting, held in Nagoya, Japan, in October last year.

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is a legally binding international agreement governing the transboundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs), also commonly known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), resulting from modern biotechnology. It seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential adverse effects of LMOs by ensuring their safe transfer, handling and use. It was adopted on 29 January 2000 and entered into force on 11 September 2003.

Uruguay, with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and technical assistance by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has developed a draft national biosafety framework and is in the process of building its capacity to comply with the Protocol’s provisions.

Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said: “I congratulate Uruguay on its ratification of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. This will enable Uruguay to fully participate in decision-making regarding the future of the Protocol during the sixth meeting of the Parties to the Protocol in India next year. I also urge other Governments that have not yet done so to join the Protocol as soon as possible.”

The list of all Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is available on the Protocol website at: http://bch.cbd.int/protocol/parties/.

Geneva Call for Urgent Action on the Implementation of the Successful Nagoya Outcomes

Montreal, 7 September 2011. On Saturday, 3 September 2011, the past, present and future Presidents of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed and signed, at their annual high-level meeting at Chateau Bossey, Switzerland, the “Geneva Call for Urgent Action on the Implementation of the Successful Nagoya Outcomes”.

The meeting was opened by Mr. Tatsushi Terada, Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs of Japan, speaking on behalf of the President of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Participants also heard a statement from Mr. Bruno Oberle, Director of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) in the Swiss Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) and viewed a short video message from Mr. Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Following an update from Mr. Hem Pande, representing the Government of India, on the preparations for the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, to be held in Hyderabad, India, in 2012, participants reviewed the draft “Call for Urgent Action” and adopted it as proposed after some discussion. A separate report of the meeting will reflect this discussion, which focused on a number emerging issues that will be further developed for inclusion in future meetings of the Presidents.

The “Call for Urgent Action” confirms the continued declining status of global biodiversity, commits its signatories to increased implementation action to reverse this decline and calls on Governments to:
· Sign and ratify, as soon as possible, the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing;
· Develop and implement national biodiversity strategies and action plans and adopt national and regional targets within the framework of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets;
· Celebrate the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity; and
· Consider convening a high-level event on biodiversity with participation of Heads of State and Government at the seventieth session of the United Nations General Assembly, to be held in September 2015, on the occasion of the mid-term evaluation of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
· Increase efforts towards achieving synergies among the three Rio conventions in light of the interconnectivity of biodiversity, climate change and desertification.

The full text of the “Call for Urgent Action” and the report of the meeting can be accessed at: http://www.cbd.int/hlm/2011/.

The “Call for Urgent Action” will be forwarded to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at its sixty-sixth session and also to the high-level segment of the special session of the Assembly on desertification, to be held later this month in New York.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE WORLD’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

ON THE OCCASION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE WORLD’S

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

9 August 2011 (CBD)

On the occasion of the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, we pay tribute to the indigenous peoples for their contributions to knowledge, innovations and practices in the conservation of biodiversity on Earth. In its preamble and articles, the Convention on Biological Diversity recognizes the pivotal role of indigenous peoples and local communities and their traditional knowledge in the conservation of life on Earth.

For indigenous peoples, the relationship with biodiversity, which the Quechua and Aymara call Pachamama (Mother Earth) has developed valuable skills that are manifested in the form of stories, songs, art, cultural values, beliefs, rituals, languages, agricultural practices, among others. These cultural expressions, from traditional oral tradition to rich artistic expressions such as singing, dancing, painting, sculpting and carving have taken place over millennia. This traditional knowledge is expressed in a way that preserves biodiversity and its continuation is very important in achieving the objectives of the Convention.

Antigua and Barbuda becomes the first Caribbean island country to sign the Nagoya

Montreal, 1 August 2011 – Antigua and Barbuda has become the forty-first signatory of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing and the first Caribbean island country to signal its intent to ratify.

H.E. John W. Ashe, Ambassador to the United Nations for Antigua and Barbuda, said: “As the forty-first signatory of the Nagoya Protocol, Antigua and Barbuda wishes to join with the other countries who have already done so in signalling the importance it attaches to the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, and its willingness to work with all others in creating incentives to conserve biodiversity at all levels, sustainably use its components, and further enhance the contribution of biodiversity to sustainable development and human well-being.”

Costa Rica becomes the 38th Signatory of the Nagoya Protocol

Montreal, 11 July 2011

– On 6 July 2011, Costa Rica became the 38th Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity to sign the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization. Thirty-seven Governments and the European Union have now signed the new international treaty.

Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), said: “It is fitting that while the Central American countries are actively engaged in preparing a regional meeting on the implementation of the Nagoya biodiversity compact that Costa Rica, as the host, demonstrates its leadership by becoming the 38th Party to sign the historic Nagoya Protocol.”

The list of signatories to the Protocol is available on the Convention on Biological Diversity website at: www.cbd.int/abs/nagoya-protocol/signatories/.

United Nations Decade on Biodiversity!!!!!!!

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the period from 2011 to 2020 as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity in its Resolution 65/161:

Decides, following the invitation of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to declare 2011-2020 the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, with a view to contributing to the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for the period 2011-2020, requests the Secretary-General, in this regard, in consultation with Member States, to lead the coordination of the activities of the Decade on behalf of the United Nations system, with the support of the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the secretariats of other biodiversity-related conventions and relevant United Nations funds, programmes and agencies, and invites Member States in a position to do so to contribute, on a voluntary basis, to the funding of the activities of the Decade;

VERY GOOD NEWS INDEED!

Canadian School celebrates their Involvement in the International Year for Biodiversity

St-Laurent Academy School in Ottawa, Canada held a special assembly today to mark the ending of a successful year in biodiversity awareness and engaging youth with the Youth Accord for Biodiversity. Much of our work is with the Macoun Marsh, a unique wetland in the middle of the city.  Over 1300 species have been recorded here over the past 8 years. 

A VERY SPECIAL APPLE!

This apple art form follows a very ancient tradition, which reached its peak in the 19th century in France.

The colouring of the fruit is done by placing a bag around each fruit, then unwrapping it and placing a stencil against it at key stages of its growth.

The method was reinvented in Japan in 1970.  The city of Hirosaki, in Aomori Prefecture, has been renowned for its regular production of its fruits.  The fruit gardens at Laquenexy, France also produces these illustrated apples.  They last for up to 6 months.

COP 10 PRESENTATION AT THE CANADIAN MUSEUM OF NATURE

Youth from Biodiversitymatters presented the Youth Accord and COP 10 at the Canadian Museum of Nature today.  Signatures were also collected. 

LOOKING BACK AT COP 10

Here are some photos looking back at Biodiversitymatters youth at COP10 in Japan this past October.  We are presenting the Youth Accord on Biodiversity with almost 5000 signatures from 83 countries.  From Pat and Jessica Walsh

COP 10 PRESENTATION

COP10 youth delegate Jessica Walsh-Moreau presented Nagoya events at St-Laurent Academy Elementary and Junior High School today in Ottawa, Canada.  The audience was made up of Grades 6, 7, and 8 students. 

UP-COMING YOUTH DISPLAY TABLE ON COP10

Our Biodiversitymatters youth team will be at the Canadian Museum of Nature on Sunday, November 28 to discuss COP10, YOUTH, and the ACCORD. 

International Youth Declaration on Biodiversity- COP10

This youth declaration was written with the assistance of Biodiversitymatters youth with the help of a larger team of international students.  The Youth Accord on Biodiversity was used in its formation.    

       We, young people from around the world, your sons and your daughters, are the future at stake. We have been born into a world under threat, but we are coming of age in an unprecedented moment of international collaboration and our hearts lift to see those who have come together for change. We look up to you, the delegates of the Convention on Biological Diversity, our leaders and representatives, we turn to you for guidance and inspiration, and yet we watch with growing horror as biodiversity continues to be allowed to disappear. You grew up in a world whose richness and diversity awed the imagination. Your children deserve the same. We are here to work with you, and we will fight fiercely to hold our governments accountable, to protect our planet’s diversity for our children and for generations to come. We are certain this is as possible as it is necessary, and we are trusting you to take immediate and sustained action. Esteemed women and men of the Convention, we offer to you the undaunted energies and idealisms of youth. We have strong ideas for what needs to happen and how to make it real, and are eager to join you in confronting the challenges before us. You are the world leaders of today. You must ensure that we have a world to lead tomorrow.

Vision:
We understand biodiversity to be the variety of life we find on Earth: the variation of genes, species, and ecosystems, along with the interactions between them. We are currently facing the sixth mass extinction of species and, as youth, we are concerned about our future. Our generation and the generations to follow will be most negatively affected by human-induced biodiversity loss.  We, the young people from around the world, need biodiversity to be conserved in order to sustain global ecosystems and life on our planet now, and in the future.  We believe we can, we know we must, halt biodiversity loss by 2020. We also recognize that this goal is achievable only if accompanied by a fair and legally binding international protocol on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing of the commercial value of these assets.

Mission:
Take effective and urgent action to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2020.

We, as youth, are greatly concerned with the CBD's inability to ratify crucial proposals in the past, and we insist that such failure cannot occur with the Post-2010 Target.  To ensure its success, the Post-2010 target must include unambiguous measurable numerical figures, it must indicate concrete actions, and it must set a definite time frame.  An increase in new funding must be made available, in accordance with Agenda 21 and Article 20 of the Convention. In regards to the bracketed text of the Post-2010 Target the Youth support the following:  Target 5, Target 6, Target 10, and Target 11.

We see it as crucial that the negotiations on Access and Benefit Sharing reach a legally binding protocol, one that acknowledges the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples. Equal access to genetic resources and the resulting benefits thereof is a mandatory precondition for the conservation of biological diversity.

We must secure new sources of finance for biodiversity in addition to existing funding mechanisms. We support an ecosystem approach that recognizes that biodiversity has an intrinsic value and cannot be perceived merely in economic terms. As a supplement, assessments of the economic value of ecosystem services are a valuable tool for conservation.

We believe that the current focus on bio-energy has undermined progress toward biodiversity conservation and universal food sovereignty. Industrial scale bio-energy developments are increasing the demands for plant biomass, which places greater pressure on food supplies and ecological systems.  Investment in bio-energy, along with other new technologies such as synthetic biology and geo-engineering, present a potential threat to biodiversity and must be exercised with great caution, guided by extensive research and environmental impact studies. In addition, we support a continued moratorium on GURTs.

Action:  

Commitment

The opinions of today's youth should be incorporated into the negotiation of biodiversity conservation policy. Increased youth participation in CBD negotiations will require investment in education and awareness programs. Such investment will, in turn, strengthen the implementation of CBD objectives by engaging future generations in the conservation of biodiversity. In order for this youth presence to effectively represent diverse contingents from around the world, all young delegates should receive formal recognition for their contributions and should have access, according to need, to voluntary funding for participation costs, so that representative youth participation is guaranteed. Youth require access to the research community, policy makers, and the public for open discussion on matters concerning the Convention.

      We are committed to bringing a youth presence to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to coordinating the work of youth from different nations, and thereby creating a strong base for united youth representation within the Convention. To realize our Vision, we the youth representatives commit ourselves to applying our collective knowledge, expertise and resources in order to sustain and promote biodiversity for the benefit of all. We also commit to an evaluation of our joint efforts and we will report our success and challenges to the Convention on a bi-annual basis.

CBD NEWS

The Secretary-General welcomes the adoption of an historic new protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity on Saturday morning, 30 October, in Nagoya, Japan, which sets ground rules for improving access to, and the equitable sharing of, the world's genetic resources. The new treaty, he said, provides an innovative approach to conserving and protecting the world’s rapidly diminishing living resources, while providing benefits to all, in particular, local communities in developing countries.

For more information please see: http://www.cbd.int/cop10/