ENB:09:19
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OPENING CEREMONY
The first Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity opened to the sounds of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band, a color guard and speeches by UNEP Executive Director Elizabeth Dowdeswell, UN General Assembly Vice-President Mario Lopez de Rosa on behalf of General Assembly President S.E.M. Amara Essy, and UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and the Bahamanian Prime Minister, the Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham.
Dowdeswell referred to the Biodiversity Convention as the "epitome of humankind's new vision of its relationship with nature." She said it is the most comprehensive and ambitious agreement yet adopted, including both a political breakthrough and a conceptual advance in attempts to stop and reverse the destruction of biological resources. The change, Dowdeswell said, was to go beyond species or ecosystem preservation to addressing biodiversity as a multisectoral issue that relates to social and economic progress and the pursuit of sustainable development. Dowdeswell said the record time for entry into force of the Convention, the growing number of ratifications, attendance at the COP and political interest in the issue were encouraging indicators of governments' commitment to implementation.
Lopez said that the Convention is striking in its goal to preserve life on Earth, in the actors who support it, and in the financial, scientific, technical and technological means envisioned for its implementation. He said that implementing the Convention's commitments would be a delicate process, leading to a new and difficult stage in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Between performances by the Bahamas National Youth Choir, Lopez read Boutros-Ghali's statement, which called for a practical foundation for action on the commitments in the Convention. He said the Convention should coordinate with the Commission on Sustainable Development at its next session.
Prime Minister Ingraham said the Convention represents a new perspective on development assistance, because some of the poorest countries are the richest in species. Development assistance, in this way, becomes a long-term investment with the resulting new partnership respecting the "transcending sovereignty of nature." Ingraham also cited Principle 6 of the Rio Declaration that calls for consideration of the needs of the most environmentally vulnerable countries, and praised the Convention for providing financial assistance on a grant or concessional basis.
The opening ceremonies ended with the official opening of the Biodiversity Technology Fair sponsored by the Canadian government and the Canadian Industries Association. Dowdeswell said the fair conveyed two messages: that the objectives of the Convention require involvement from industry; and that technologies and expertise from indigenous peoples are an important element of technological contributions to biodiversity protection.