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First Meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group 
on Protected Areas 

13- 17 June 2005, Montecatini, Italy

 

 


 

 Earth Negotiations Bulletin - ENB

 

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 Mon 13

 Tue 14

 Wed 15

 Thu 16

 Fri 17 &  SUMMARY

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Highlights for Monday, 13 June 2005


The first meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Protected Areas (PAs) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) opened on Monday, 13 June, in Montecatini, Italy. Delegates convened in plenary and sub-working group sessions. Plenary heard opening statements and keynote presentations, and addressed organizational matters. Sub-Working Group I (SWG-I) addressed options for cooperation for establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Sub-Working Group II (SWG-II) considered: options for mobilizing financial resources; and the process for reviewing implementation of the work programme on PAs
Above photo: Altero Matteoli, Minister of Environment and Territory of Italy addressing the plenary.

 


 

Special Message of the President of the Italian Republic H.E. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi to the First Meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Protected Areas: 

 

 

 


" The Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group Meeting is a renewal of Italy's pledge towards preserving the ecosystem and Protected Areas. The world's forests, deserts, rivers, lakes and seas are the habitat of most of the planet's species. The wide variety in the species that inhabit the earth guarantees our survival and is under threat, largely from a deteriorating environment. 
There is a call for shared strategies aimed at establishing a coordinated course of action to establish a new humanism, combining environmental policies with ethics and economic development in a single model of constructive integration between peoples and nation. 
Fully aware of the elevated value of the contributions that will emerge from this meeting, I send the Minister, the illustrious speakers and all those present my best wishes of good work." 

Left photo: H.E. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, President of the Italian Republic (photo courtesy of UNESCO/Andrew Wheeler)

 

 

OPENING PLENARY:

 

 

 

 


Ettore Severi, Mayor of Montecatini, welcomed participants to the city and noted the fundamental contribution of PAs to biodiversity conservation.


Altero Matteoli
, Minister of Environment and Territory of Italy, highlighted the country’s biological and cultural diversity and PA system.


Aldo Cosentino
, Director General for Nature Protection, Ministry of Environment and Territory of Italy, urged governments to find solutions to establishing PAs in the high seas.

 

 


Letchumanan Ramatha, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Malaysia, speaking on behalf of COP-7 President, called for increasing PA coverage, and highlighted support to local communities, long-term financial sustainability of PAs, and their integration into broader land- and seascapes as key elements in the implementation of the work programme.


Hamdallah Zedan
, CBD Executive Secretary, outlined challenges for achieving the 2010 target of significantly reducing biodiversity loss, including improving coverage, representativeness and management of the current PA system. He also thanked the Government and people of Italy for hosting the meeting. 

 

 

 


UNESCO said that protection of natural sites under the World Heritage Convention aims both at conserving their biodiversity and contributing to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Above photo: Kishor Rao (UNESCO)


The CONVENTION ON MIGRATORY SPECIES (CMS) underscored its commitment to implementing the work programme on PAs
Above photo: Paola Deda (CMS)


Ghana, on behalf of the AFRICAN GROUP, underlined the need for: agreement on new and additional financial resources and establishment of a special trust fund for PAs.
Above photo: Alfred Oteng-Yeboah (Ghana)

 

 

 


Above photos L-R: Peter Bos (the Netherlands), speaking on behalf of the EU, BULGARIA and ROMANIA, favored a bottom-up and participatory approach to PA selection and management; Marisol Dimas (Panama), speaking on behalf of the LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN GROUP, noted that PA sustainability can be achieved if instruments and resources are adequate and if local communities and civil society are sufficiently involved; Dionysius S.K. Sharma (WWF-Malaysia), speaking on behalf of an NGO consortium, underscored the contribution of PAs to the achievement of MDGs; Fiu Elisara (INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS FORUM ON BIODIVERSITY) expressed disappointment that none of the background documents reflect COP-7 decisions to fully and effectively involve, and fully respect the rights of, indigenous and local communities in the establishment, management and monitoring of PAs.

 

 

Keynote Presentations:

 

 

 


Nik Lopoukhine, Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, addressed key issues for implementing the work programme, stressing the need to clearly demonstrate the contribution of PAs to human well-being, including through recognizing the value of ecosystem services and linking PAs to MDGs.


Carlos Salinas, Director of the Peruvian System of PAs, noted that Peru has designated a total area of 17.7 million hectares as PAs. He said the CBD is a good tool to integrate reduction of biodiversity loss with poverty alleviation, and highlighted the importance of timely and adequate funding for PAs

 

 

SUB-WORKING GROUP I

 

 


Above photos L-R: Karen Brown (Canada) Chair of SWG-I; The dais of SWG-I with David Coates (CBD), SWG-I Chair Brown and Marjo Vierros (CBD).

 

 

 


CANADA identified the UN General Assembly (UNGA) as the primary forum to discuss international governance aspects. 
Above photo: Robert McLean (Canada)


The EU proposed short- and medium-term responses to preserving marine biodiversity, and highlighted the CBD’s role in proposing procedures and criteria for high seas MPAs, and establishing registers of marine areas requiring protection. 
Above photo L-R: Robert H. van Dijk and J.W. Nieuwenhuis (the Netherlands on behalf of the EU)

 



SUB-WORKING GROUP II

 


Above photos L-R: Orlando Santos (Cuba) Chair of SWG-II; The dais of SWG-II with Sarat Babu Gidda (CBD), SWG-II Chair Santos and Robert Höft (CBD)

 

 


SWITZERLAND called for increasing public-private partnerships. 
Above photo: Robert Lamb (Switzerland)


MALI noted the need for funding in implementing regional and subregional PA management programmes
Above photo: Cisse Modibo (Mali)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This service was prepared in cooperation with the CBD Secretariat