Historic UN biodiversity pact on genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge comes into effect today!

Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol represents a milestone on the global sustainable development agenda

Montreal/Pyeongchang 12 October. The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization, of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) enters into force today, providing the world with a mechanism to ensure that access to and the sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources, and associated traditional knowledge, happen in a context of transparency and with equity.

The fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources is one of the three main objectives of the CBD, with the other two being the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components.

The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing provides a legal framework to ensure that the access and utilization of genetic resources coming from plants, animals, bacteria or other organisms for commercial, research or other purposes, be created on the basis of access and benefit-sharing agreements between providers and users which entail prior informed consent and mutually agreed terms.

Benefits received in exchange for access to genetic resources can be monetary or non-monetary, including, for instance, technology transfer, joint research or capacity-building activities. Allowing Parties to fully benefit from their genetic resources generates new opportunities and incentives for conserve and sustainably use biodiversity The Protocol also addresses issues related to access to and benefit-sharing from the use of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources held by indigenous and local communities. In this regard, Parties are to take measures to ensure prior informed consent and fair and equitable benefit-sharing with these communities, keeping in mind community laws and procedures as well as customary use and exchange.

"The Nagoya Protocol is central to biodiversity for sustainable development. Its entry into force will create incentives for preserving genetic diversity, biodiversity in general, and associated traditional knowledge. It will provide the conditions for continuous research and development on genetic resources. But most importantly, the Protocol will give us the opportunity to develop an economy that is more sustainable and where the value of natural resources will be truly acknowledged” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

“The entry of the landmark Nagoya Protocol into force with 51 ratifications, ahead of the Aichi deadline, opens up opportunities for the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the utilization of genetic resources. At the same time, it offers a reminder that the Aichi targets are within reach,” said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme.

"The Protocol will create greater equity and transparency for both providers and users of genetic resources which will enhance the contribution of biodiversity to development, poverty eradication and human well-being,"

“It is up to us - here and now - to build momentum to encourage further ratifications, strengthen political will and take decisive measures to keep the Aichi Targets on track," he added.

The historic treaty is the result of decades of negotiations, which culminated in the Protocol being agreed on 29 October 2010, in Nagoya, Japan. However, 50 Parties to the CBD had to ratify before it could enter into force. The Protocol received its final necessary ratification on 14 July 2014. It now has 54 ratifications.

The implementation of the Protocol also contributes to the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Target 16. Target 16 provides that the Nagoya Protocol should enter into force and be operational by 2015. “The entry into force of the Protocol will contribute to enhancing the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services and it represents a major step towards achieving Target 16 prior to our target date,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, at the opening of the capacity building workshop on the Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing-House (ABS-CH) this Sunday, in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea. On this occasion, Parties celebrated the entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol and the launching of the operational phase of the online platform.

With entry into force of the Protocol, the ABS-CH will also become operational. The ABS-CH will act as a platform where countries can exchange information which will enhance legal certainty and transparency on procedures for access and for monitoring the use of genetic resources. The ABS-CH will also help connecting users and providers of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

Mr. Prakash Javadekar, Minister of State for Environment, Forests & Climate Change of India, who is expected to serve as president for the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP MOP 1) said: “By providing legal certainty on the use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, and by strengthening the opportunities for fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use, the Protocol will create incentives to conserve biodiversity, and sustainable use of its components, and further enhance the contribution of biodiversity to sustainable development and human well-being.”

The first meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (COP-MOP 1), begins on 13 October and will last until 17 October. At its first session, Parties to the Protocol will discuss matters related to the ABS-CH; model contractual clauses, voluntary codes of conduct, capacity-building; awareness raising; the need for and modalities of a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism; cooperative procedures and institutional mechanisms to promote compliance and to address cases of non-compliance; and guidance on resource mobilization including to the financial mechanism.

Mr. Dias announced that “the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol represents a milestone not only for the Convention on Biological Diversity, but also in the history of global governance for sustainable development”. The Nagoya Protocol is strictly linked with the sustainable development agenda. “The sustainable use of biological diversity plays a key role in poverty eradication and environmental sustainability, thereby contributing to achieving the Millennium Development Goals,” Mr. Dias said. “In the same vein, the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol will certainly be of valuable importance in the achievement of the proposed Sustainable Development goals which are set to become part of the post- 2015 development agenda.”

The Nagoya Protocol- NEWS

The Nagoya Protocol enters into force on 12 October 2014 after receiving the required number of ratifications and its first meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties (COP-MOP 1) will be held from 13 to 17 October in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, concurrently with the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 12). Entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol and a fully functional Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing-House (ABS Clearing-House)  represents major steps in achieving Aichi Biodiversity Target 16, which provides that by 2015, the Nagoya Protocol is in force and operational, consistent with national legislation.

 

With a view to having a fully functional ABS Clearing-House, Parties are kindly reminded to expedite the designation of their publishing authorities and national authorized users for the ABS Clearing-House and are invited to actively participate in sharing national information through this platform. To support this process, the Secretariat is currently undertaking an outreach and engagement campaign among Parties and is available for providing training sessions in the format of webinars and technical assistance to Parties having designated their publishing authorities that request technical support for registering information on the ABS Clearing-House. Please contact absch@cbd.int if you require any assistance.

 

In addition, please be informed that in order to launch the operational phase of the ABS Clearing-House by the date of entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol, all test records currently hosted in the ABS Clearing-House will be deleted, and all information published in the central portal will become official information.

 

Against this background and in order to officially launch the operational phase of the ABS Clearing-House and conduct hands-on training, I am pleased to inform you that, thanks to the generous contribution of the European Union, a capacity-building workshop on the ABS Clearing-House will be held on 12 October 2014 in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, back-to-back with COP-MOP 1 to the Nagoya Protocol. The outcomes of this workshop will be made available to COP-MOP 1 as an information document.

               

A draft programme containing the objectives and methodology of the workshop is attached for your information and is available on the Secretariat website at the following address: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=ABSWS-2014-07.

 

The workshop will be divided in two different sessions: a general informative session in the morning and a training session in the afternoon.

 

The objective of the morning session is to launch the operational phase of the ABS Clearing-House and improve understanding of the role of the ABS Clearing-House for supporting implementation of the Protocol. It will also increase awareness of the importance of actively participating in sharing information through this platform. This session is open to the general public and interpretation will be offered in English, French and Spanish.

 

In the afternoon, the workshop will consist of a hands-on training on registering and retrieving information through the ABS Clearing-House. Only publishing authorities and national authorized users designated for the ABS Clearing-House are invited to participate in the afternoon session of the workshop. For this reason, Parties to the Convention are encouraged to designate their publishing authorities and national authorized users for the ABS Clearing-House prior to the workshop. Please refer to notification 2014-045 for further information on how to proceed with designations (http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2014/ntf-2014-045-abs-parties-en.docx).

 

In order to enable hands-on training during the afternoon session of the workshop for the submission of national information, participants are highly encouraged to bring their own computer and national information on the following topics, if available:

 

(a)           Competent national authorities;

(b)           Legislative, administrative and policy measures on access and benefit-sharing;

(c)           Permits or their equivalent; and

(d)           Checkpoints.

 

The text of this notification is also available on the CBD website at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2014/ntf-2014-110-absch-en.pdf

 

See if your Government is among them: http://bit.ly/1zFfuva
Why the the Nagoya Protocol is important: www.cbd.int/abs/about

CBD Secretariat News

The CBD Secretariat just announced that 12 countries have ratified the Nagoya Protocol on Access- and Benefit-sharing in the past couple
of weeks. Thanks to today's ratification by Uruguay, 51 parties to the CBD have now ratified the Nagoya-Protocol, enabling it to enter
into force on October 12 2014.
The first Meeting of the Parties (MOP) to the Nagoya-Protocol will be held from October 13 to 17 in Pyeonchang, South Korea
during the second week of the COP.
A list of all parties to the Nagoya-Protocol as well as further information about ABS can be found here:
http://www.cbd.int/abs/nagoya-protocol/signatories/
https://www.cbd.int/abs/infokit/revised/web/factsheet-nagoya-en.pdf

For a more critical look at the Nagoya Protocol check out this publication by Berne Declaration, Bread for the World, Ecoropa, Tebtebba and Third World Network:
http://www.twnside.org.sg/title2/books/pdf/NagoyaProtocolonAccesscomplete.pdf

On the International Day for Biological Diversity, Islands lead the way, including ratification of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing.

Montreal, 22 May 2014 – On the International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated under the theme of Island Biodiversity, islands are taking action to effectively conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable livelihoods. These actions, or “Bright Spots,” point the way towards sustainable development for island ecosystems and beyond.

In a major gesture to mark the day, four Parties to the Convention, including Samoa, deposited their instruments of ratification to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing at the United Nations Headquarters.

With the ratifications of Denmark, the European Union, Namibia and Samoa, the total number of ratifications to the Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) stands at 37. The Nagoya Protocol will enter into force on the 90th day after the date of deposit of the 50th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. While the European Union will be a Party to the Protocol, its approval of the Protocol does not count towards the 50 instruments required for entry into force, therefore 14 more ratifications are required.

Samoa’s ratification is particularly timely given this year’s theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity. Samoa will also host the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States in September 2014.

“As we celebrate island biodiversity today, we recognize the tremendous efforts made by islanders to build a future of life in harmony with nature,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the CBD. “These concrete actions not only support the implementation of the programme of work for island biodiversity, they also provide valuable lessons for integrating biodiversity into sustainable development that can be applied around the world.”

“On this day, we also welcome the ratifications of the Nagoya Protocol by Denmark, the European Union, Namibia and Samoa that bring us closer to achievement of Aichi Biodiversity Target 16 that by 2015 the Nagoya Protocol is in force and operational. Their actions take us closer to entry into force before the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12) to the Convention that will take place in the Republic of Korea in October 2014. I encourage all Parties that have yet to do so to take the necessary steps to ratify the Protocol” he said.

Four new ratifications edge landmark genetic resources treaty closer to entering into force

Montreal, 1 May 2014 – With four new ratifications in the last week, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization has received 66% of the necessary ratifications, with only 17 more ratifications needed for it to enter into force. Ratifications by Guyana, Hungary, Kenya and Vietnam bring to 33 the total number of ratifications to the ground-breaking treaty under the umbrella of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

“These ratifications by Guyana, Hungary, Kenya and Vietnam suggest the momentum is rapidly building towards entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol in time for the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12) to the Convention, to be hosted by the Republic of Korea in October 2014,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, CBD Executive Secretary. “It is important that we maintain and quicken this pace of ratifications, as the early entry into force of the Protocol will also mean achieving Aichi Target 16. I encourage all countries that have yet to do so to take the necessary steps needed to ratify the Protocol.”

Guyana becomes the first Caribbean state; Hungary the first European Union member state and second Central and Eastern Europe state; Kenya the second African mega-diverse country and fourteenth African state; and, Vietnam the twelfth Asian country, to ratify the Nagoya Protocol. Their support underlines the global recognition of the importance of this instrument for obtaining access to genetic resources and for sharing benefits arising from their use.

The Nagoya Protocol will enter into force on the 90th day after the date of deposit of the 50th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.

Guyana, Hungary, Kenya and Vietnam join Albania, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Côte D’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mauritius, Mexico, the Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Norway, Panama, Rwanda, the Seychelles, South Africa, the Syrian Arab Republic and Tajikistan are the countries that have ratified or acceded to the landmark treaty so far.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as part of his message for the 2013 International Day for Biological Diversity called “on all Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity who have not already done so, to ratify the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization, and therefore help us all to work toward the future we want.”

His statement of support follows on his letter to all Heads of State/Government highlighting the valuable contribution that the Protocol can make to sustainable development and urging ratification at the earliest opportunity so that the international community can move to the implementation phase.

In a January 2014 joint letter addressed to all CBD Parties, M. Veerappa Moily, COP 11 President and Minister of Environment and Forests, India, and CBD Executive Secretary Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias expressed the hope that countries could finalize their internal processes towards the ratification or accession of the Nagoya Protocol as soon as possible but no later than 7 July 2014.

Earlier, a December 2013 United Nations General Assembly resolution (A/RES/68/214) invited Parties to the Convention to ratify or accede to the Nagoya Protocol so as to ensure its early entry into force and implementation.

Further information on how to become a Party to the Protocol is available at: www.cbd.int/abs/becomingparty/

Nagoya Protocol meeting prepares for entry into force of ground-breaking treaty on genetic resources

Montreal, 24 February 2014 – Governments meet in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea this week for discussions which will finalise preparations for the first meeting of the governing body of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization – the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP-MOP 1).

The third meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (ICNP 3) runs from 24-28 February at the same site where the upcoming twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 12) will take place.

The first meeting of COP-MOP 1 is anticipated to take place concurrently with COP 12, in October 2014. 

The total number of ratifications to the Nagoya Protocol presently stands at 29. Only 21 more ratifications are needed for the Protocol to enter into force. The Nagoya Protocol will enter into force on the 90th day after the date of deposit of the 50th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. 

Entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol and its operationalization will represent achievement of Aichi Target 16. This will be the first of the 20 targets of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 to be achieved.

During ICNP3, it is expected that the delegates will discuss and agree on a focused capacity building framework to facilitate implementation of the Protocol including fostering strategic partnerships within and between regions, which will be submitted to COP-MOP for adoption.

Also to be considered is the need for and modalities of a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism. Discussions will be based on the results of an expert meeting which had been mandated by the second meeting of the ICNP in 2012.

At the meeting, governments will view the experience of the pilot phase of the Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing-House (ABS-CH) (http://absch.cbd.int/) and provide feedback. The ABS-CH will serve as a central information exchange mechanism where all relevant information regarding ABS will be shared permitting countries to learn from experiences and approaches to national implementation of the Protocol. 

Other discussions at ICNP 3 will focus on monitoring and reporting within the context of Article 29 of the Nagoya Protocol which requires that each party monitor the implementation of its obligations under the Protocol and to report to the COP-MOP on measures taken to implement the Protocol; ICNP 3 will also further examine the draft cooperative procedures and institutional mechanisms to promote compliance with the Nagoya Protocol for the consideration of the COP-MOP.

The meeting will include a unique interactive discussion devoted to the exchange of views on the development, updating and use of sectoral and cross-sectoral model contractual clauses, voluntary codes of conduct, guidelines and best practices and/or standards; and, lastly, an exchange of views on the state of implementation of the Protocol.

Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), said, “this meeting, taking place on the eve of entry into force of the Protocol, will prepare all the measures needed for the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties. I am also looking forward to the sharing of experiences we expect during the meeting – the testimonies and lessons learned on the state of implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and on the use of sectoral and cross-sectoral model contractual clauses, voluntary codes of conduct, guidelines and best
practices and/or standards.”

Mr Dias also said “I want to congratulate those who have worked to ensure that the Access and benefit sharing Clearing House is fully operational. This tool is central to the implementation of the Protocol.”

For additional information, please contact: David Ainsworth on local mobile 82 (0)10 6884 2890 or at david.ainsworth@cbd.int; or Johan Hedlund on +1 514 287 6670 or at johan.hedlund@cbd.int

Comoros, Mongolia and the Syrian Arab Republic ratify Nagoya Protocol

Montreal, 6 June 2013 – Comoros, Mongolia and the Syrian Arab Republic became the most recent countries to ratify 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.

This brings the total number of ratifications of the Nagoya Protocol to 18. They join Albania, Botswana, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, India, Jordan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mauritius, Mexico, the Federated States of Micronesia, Panama, Rwanda, the Seychelles and South Africa as countries that have ratified or acceded to the ground-breaking treaty.

The Nagoya Protocol will enter into force on the 90th day after the date of deposit of the 50th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.

“With the ratifications by Comoros, Mongolia and the Syrian Arab Republic, it is clear that the momentum is building to bring into force the Nagoya Protocol ahead of COP 12 in South Korea, so the first meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol can take place in October 2014”, said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban-Ki-moon, as part of his message for the 2013 International Day for Biological Diversity, stated “I also call on all Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity who have not already done so, to ratify the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization, and therefore help us all to work toward the future we want.” His statement of support follows on his recent written messages to the Heads of State and Government, issued in April, urging ratification.

At the Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity which took place from 27 to 31 May, the Ministers of Environment of Norway and India as well as the Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity encouraged Parties to the Convention to expedite their national processes towards ratifying the Nagoya Protocol and recalled that ratifying would enable countries to participate as Parties in the first meeting of the Parties to the Protocol and to play an important role in the decision-making process to support its implementation.

Countries wishing to obtain further information on how to become a Party to the Protocol can consult the following website: www.cbd.int/abs/becoming-party/

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.

FOREST OFFICER BUSTED- NEPAL

A forest officer in Nijgadh, Bara District, central Nepal, was beaten up by a group of people led by Constituent Assembly (CA) Member. The victim tried to confiscate the tractor laden with smuggled timber belonging to CA member.  However, CA member denied the allegation and retaliated the action of the forest officer.

6 November

Kantipur

EARTH DAY CANADA ECOMENTORS AND BIODIVERSITYMATTERS- OTTAWA

It was an honour to work with Earth Day Canada today and present our International Youth Accord.  Chafic and Jessica presented their international work in Nagoya, Japan during COP10.  We made an invitation for youth to take part in the many events leading up to COP11.