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Late Breaking News from The Biodiversity Convention's COP-3

Updated 14 November 1996

The President Arrives
Presidential poetry: quoting Peron, Borges and the Bible, Argentine President Carlos Saul Menem addressed delegates Wednesday. He entered the Salon Dorado accompanied by Environment Minister Maria Julia Alsogaray.
Argentine President Carlos Saul Menem called for a "new contract with nature" to stem human destruction of the environment and biodiversity, highlighting the first day of the Ministerial Segment of COP-3. In an 11-minute address, Menem quoted from General Juan Peron, Genesis, St. Francis of Assisi and Jose Luis Borges. He said that the challenge of our time is take positive steps against humanity's destruction of its own habitat. (Note: Menem's full address is available in RealAudio format from our sound page.)

After the Ministerial Segment, the Committee of the Whole (COW) adopted remaining draft decisions except three on financial issues that are still in discussion in a working group. Wednesday night, delegates adopted decisions on:

  • technology transfer
  • intellectual property rights
  • indigenous and local communities (Article 8j)
  • the medium-term work programme
  • biosafety and
  • a modus operandi for the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Assistance.

In the corridors, delegates pondered the worth of holding a Ministerial Segment during the COP. Details of the day's discussions are in Thursday's Earth Negotiations Bulletin. You can also download Thursday's Earth Negotiations Bulletin in either text or PDF format.

Keep an eye on this page for daily updates, including photos and sounds from the negotiations. And for highlights of previous days' negotiations, check Late Breaking News for: