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Sustainable developments

International Scientific Conference
"Biodiversity: Science and Governance"

24-28 January 2005 | Paris, France
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24 January
25 January
26 January
27 January
Summary

 


Monday, 24 January

The International Biodiversity Conference, organized by the French Ministry of Research, opened at the headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the theme "Biodiversity: Science and Governance."

In the morning, participants heard opening statements from personalities including: François d'Aubert, French Minister for Research; Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General; Klaus Töpfer, Director-General of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Hamdallah Zedan, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); Mohammed Valli Moosa, President of the World Conservation Union; Bertrand Collomb, Chairman of Lafarge and Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner for Environment; Edward Wilson, Harvard University; Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize; Abdullah Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia; Marc Ravalomanana, President of the Republic of Madagascar; and Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic.

In the afternoon, Plenary, chaired by Peter Raven, Missouri Botanical Garden, held its first session on the theme "Challenges of biodiversity, science and governance." A roundtable, chaired by Robert Watson, World Bank, focused on greatest challenges to biodiversity sustainable use.  

Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic, stressed humankind's responsibility in conserving and protecting biodiversity, supported calls for a new planetary ethic, and proposed establishing an intergovernmental panel on biodiversity changes

Stating the importance of balancing economic development and conservation of natural resources, Abdullah Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia, highlighted crucial issues regarding biodiversity conservation, including: capacity building; dialogue on biodiversity governance; negotiations of an access and benefit-sharing regime under the CBD; intellectual property rights; and implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety Klaus Toepfer, Director-General of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), stressed the impact of biodiversity loss on mankind, and said preserving healthy ecosystems is crucial for achieving the Millennium Development Goals
Mohammed Valli Moosa, President of the World Conservation Union – IUCN, stressed direct links between biodiversity loss and human activities, warning that more than 15,000 species are threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List

Referring to the recent World Conference on Disaster Reduction, Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), highlighted the potential of healthy ecosystems to reduce disasters and called for improved earth observation systems
Wangari Maathai, Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources of Kenya, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, reviewed lessons learned from two mountain ecosystems in Kenya with regard to biodiversity loss and its impacts on human societies, while emphasizing the success of rehabilitation through reforestation under governmental guidance
François d'Aubert, French Minister Delegate for Research, welcomed participants to the meeting


Edward Wilson, Harvard University, said there is overwhelming scientific evidence of man's adverse impact on biodiversity, and cited that "man is defined not by what he creates, but by what he chooses not to destroy" Marc Ravalomanana, President of the Republic of Madagascar, stressed the need to reconcile the needs for rapid sustainable development with those of preserving outstanding biological wealth

Bertrand Collomb, Chairman of Lafarge and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, highlighted several multinational companies' biodiversity-related projects, and stressed the role of partnerships for effective actions


Stressing that economic development can only be sustainable in a well-functioning ecosystem, and that development cannot be sustainable when it is not shared, Jacques Blondel, National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France, concluded that we need to radically revise of our way of life

Cristian Samper, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, called for clear rules for access, traceability and transparency, but cautioned against policies that become a barrier for biodiversity research

Speaking about globalization of the economy and current biodiversity changes, Claude Martin, Director-General of WWF International, quoted a WWF report using the living planet index and humanity's ecological footprint over the past 40 years to show that globalization has tremendous impacts on biodiversity

Robert Watson, World Bank
Michel Loreau, Chair of the Conference's Scientific Committee, highlighted humankind's dependence on biodiversity, and outlined scientific and governance challenges regarding biodiversity
Hamdallah Zedan, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), noted that despite increased recognition of biodiversity's value, knowledge about biodiversity loss is limited

Participants at the meeting




Related Links
Biodiversity Conference web site

Partner inter-governmental organizations and programmes:
UNESCO's Man and Biosphere Programme
UNESCO's natural sciences
UNESCO's water
UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
UNEP's biodiversity focus area
U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization
World Bank's biodiversity activities
European Commission's biodiversity policies
International Union of Biological Sciences
World Conservation Union (IUCN)
International conventions:
Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Convention on Migratory Species
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
UN Convention to Combat Desertification
 
Other partners:
International Programme on Biodiversity Science
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

Earth Negotiations Bulletin archives:
ENB/SD archives on biodiversity and wildlife



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