2010: The International Year of Biodiversity

The loss of biodiversity, the wide variety of plants, animals and micro-organisms is at stake. Thousands of species face extinction as a result of the fragmentation, degradation and loss of forests, wetlands, coral reefs and other ecosystems. In response, the United Nations adopted the Convention on Biological Diversity which entered into force on the 29th of December 1993. The Conference of the Parties became the governing body of the Convention discussing the progress on biodiversity and sustainable development. In October of the International Year of Biodiversity, representatives of more than 190 countries met at the tenth Conference of the Parties in Nagoya to face the challenges of the continuing loss of biodiversity.

If Kyoto entered history as the city where the climate accord was born; Nagoya will be remembered as the city where the biodiversity accord was born.

The Convention found agreement on three interlinked goals:
– the adoption of a new ten year Strategic Plan which includes an improved action plan to meet the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
– a resource mobilisation strategy that offers measures to a substantial increase of official development assistance in support of biodiversity;
– a new international protocol on access to and sharing of the benefits from the use of the genetic resources of the planet.

The Strategic Plan (see L44) includes particular action points organised under five strategic goals that address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, reduce the pressure on biodiversity, safeguard biodiversity at all levels, enhance the benefits provided by biodiversity, and provide for capacity-building. The representatives agreed that governments will restore at least 15% of degraded areas; and to halve and where possible bring close to zero the rate of loss of natural habitats including forests.

The Executive Secretary of the Convention, Ahmed Djoghlaf, concluded that “If Kyoto entered history as the city where the climate accord was born; Nagoya will be remembered as the city where the biodiversity accord was born”. The agreement, the so-called Nagoya Protocol, is expected to enter into force by 2012 and intends to create a multilateral framework with measures on sub-national and local levels.