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ENB:09:53 [Next] . [Previous] . [Contents]

IN THE CORRIDORS

Some delegations and NGO representatives, who had sought a “balanced” view of the impact of agro-industry on biodiversity, expressed some disappointment over the late- night and all-morning contact group on agricultural biodiversity. It was suggested by some participants that formal reservations to a paragraph on agro-industry in the Chair’s draft recommendations, tabled in Working Group 1, would more accurately reflect the “current state of knowledge” on the issue. Others noted that the negotiations of the contact group highlighted the difficulty of avoiding a political- rather than knowledge-based approach to the issue, referring to the ongoing debate over whether SBSTTA functions as a technical body or a “mini-COP.” One participant pointed to the large number of delegates from non-technical ministries attending this SBSTTA session.