Daily report for 28 November 1994

OPENING CEREMONY

The first Conference of Parties to the Convention on BiologicalDiversity opened to the sounds of the Royal Bahamas Police ForceBand, a color guard and speeches by UNEP Executive DirectorElizabeth Dowdeswell, UN General Assembly Vice-President MarioLopez de Rosa on behalf of General Assembly President S.E.M.Amara Essy, and UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, andthe 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 withnature." She said it is the most comprehensive and ambitiousagreement yet adopted, including both a political breakthroughand a conceptual advance in attempts to stop and reverse thedestruction of biological resources. The change, Dowdeswellsaid, was to go beyond species or ecosystem preservation toaddressing biodiversity as a multisectoral issue that relates tosocial and economic progress and the pursuit of sustainabledevelopment. Dowdeswell said the record time for entry into forceof the Convention, the growing number of ratifications,attendance at the COP and political interest in the issue wereencouraging indicators of governments' commitment toimplementation.

Lopez said that the Convention is striking in its goal topreserve life on Earth, in the actors who support it, and in thefinancial, scientific, technical and technological meansenvisioned for its implementation. He said that implementing theConvention's commitments would be a delicate process, leading toa new and difficult stage in the conservation and sustainable useof biodiversity.

Between performances by the Bahamas National Youth Choir, Lopezread Boutros-Ghali's statement, which called for a practicalfoundation for action on the commitments in the Convention. Hesaid the Convention should coordinate with the Commission onSustainable Development at its next session.

Prime Minister Ingraham said the Convention represents a newperspective on development assistance, because some of thepoorest countries are the richest in species. Developmentassistance, in this way, becomes a long-term investment with theresulting new partnership respecting the "transcendingsovereignty of nature." Ingraham also cited Principle 6 of theRio Declaration that calls for consideration of the needs of themost environmentally vulnerable countries, and praised theConvention for providing financial assistance on a grant orconcessional basis.

The opening ceremonies ended with the official opening of theBiodiversity Technology Fair sponsored by the Canadian governmentand the Canadian Industries Association. Dowdeswell said the fairconveyed two messages: that the objectives of the Conventionrequire involvement from industry; and that technologies andexpertise from indigenous peoples are an important element oftechnological contributions to biodiversity protection.

PLENARY

AGENDA ITEM 2 - ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

The Plenary opened with the appointment of the Chair, Sen. Dr.Ivy L. Dumont, the Bahamas Minister of Health and Environment.Dumont noted the difficulties of the Convention's mandate andthat the ICCBD had delivered clear recommendations from whosewisdom the COP could draw.

The Bureau nominees, which were transmitted from Sunday'sinformal sessions, were appoved. They include: Cameroon andMauritius (Africa); the Czech Republic and Estonia (EasternEurope); Peru (GRULAC); Canada and Denmark (WEOG); and Malaysiaand another country to be named (Asia).

Colombia noted that it had been inadventently ommitted from thelist of countries that have ratified the Convention. Myanmar saidit had also deposited its instrument of ratification. TheExecutive Secretary said that the Secretariat had not yetreceived official notification of Colombia's ratification butthat Myanmar had been included on the latest list. Later in thePlenary session, the Executive Secretary announced that notice ofColombia's ratification had been received and that it would beadded to an updated list of ratifications.

With regard to the adoption of the agenda, Brazil requested thatbiosafety, access to genetic resources and indigenous knowledgebe included in the provisional agenda. Spain called fordiscussions on the location of the secretariat. Switzerlandsupported Spain's request, but noted that at ICCBD-2 the EuropeanUnion had recommended that discussion of the secretariat locationbe deferred until the second COP. Germany, on behalf of the EU,supported Brazil's request to discuss biosafety and Spain'sproposal to discuss the secretariat. The Chair agreed to addthe location issue to the agenda. The provisional agenda wasadopted, as orally amended. The Secretariat announced that thespeakers list for the Ministerial segment will be closed on 1December at 1 p.m.

AGENDA ITEM 3 - ADOPTION OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THECONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES:

The Chair reported on Sunday's informal consultations. On Rule 21(Bureau), a president, eight vice-presidents, and a rapporteurare to be elected from parties present at each meeting to serveas the Bureau until the next ordinary meeting. The selection willbe made with regard to equitable geographic representation andwith adequate representation of SIDS.

The informal consultations also agreed to bracket Rule 4,paragraph 1 (Date of Meetings) and Rule 40 (Voting). DespiteJapan's objections to Rule 52 (Working Languages), the Committeeadopted the draft rules with the oral amendment to Rule 21 andthe brackets around Rules 4 and 40.

AGENDA ITEM 4: REPORT OF THE ICCBD:

Amb. Vincente Sanchez (ICCBD Chair) said the Convention's swiftentry into force focused the ICCBD's deliberations on issues forthe first COP including: periodicity of meetings; financialissues; selection of a competent organization to host thesecretariat; a clearing-house mechanism; policy, strategy andeligibility for financial resources; institutional structures fora financial mechanism, and the list of developed country partiesand others assuming developed country obligations. The ICCBDconsidered the subsidiary scientific body, and requested that theCOP make a contribution to the CSD session.

When the Plenary resumed in the afternoon, the Chair, Dr. Dumont,announced that the Bureau had agreed to elect Mr. V. Koester(Denmark) as Chair of the Committee of the Whole. The Bureaufurther agreed to postpone election of the rapporteur and decidedthat agenda item 9 (medium-term programme of work) would beexamined by the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday. Delegatesadopted the organization of work as outlined in document UNEP/CBD/COP/1/1/Add.2. The Chair also announced that the Bureau willmeet every morning from 9-10 am and that the next Plenary sessionwill be announced in the Journal. The Plenary was suspended andfollowed immediately by the Committee of the Whole.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

The newly-appointed Chair reminded delegates of the exhaustivelist of agenda items and called on them to make interventionsrelevant to the texts submitted before the COP. He urged forspeed and efficiency, to provide for more flexibility next week.

AGENDA ITEM 6.1 - POLICY, STRATEGY, PROGRAMME PRIORITIES ANDELIGIBILITY CRITERIA REGARDING ACCESS TO AND UTILIZATION OFFINANCIAL RESOURCES:

The Executive-Secretary, Angela Cropper, introduced documentUNEP/CBD/COP/1/5 on this topic. Germany, on behalf of the EU,proposed three distinct levels upon which guidelines for thefinancial mechanism should be developed. Algeria, on behalf ofthe G-77, questioned the appropriateness of bringing to the COPnew interpretations of the substantive provisions of theConvention. He expressed hope that the agreement reflected inAnnex III could be elaborated upon by the COP. He added that thequestion of poverty and the issues of technology transfer andfunding must be concretely addressed.

China said that developed countries have a responsibility toassist in the mobilization of financial resources to help financethe incremental costs. He added that the GEF should clarify theproportion of financial assistance to be allocated for theBiodiversity Convention. Colombia urged that since all developingcountries are eligible for funding, there is no need for aspecific list of countries.

Finland emphasized the need for biodiversity to be protected inall areas of the world, regardless of whether they are rich orpoor in biodiversity resources. Brazil urged delegates to focusonly on the bracketed text. Malaysia requested furtherclarification of the EU proposal and called for the discussion onprogramme priorities to build on the agreed text in Annex III.Kenya said that any policy framework would be meaningless withoutany reference to the social dimensions, especially thealleviation of poverty. Sweden urged against the global listidea. He added that discussion on the draft indicative list ofincremental costs in Annex IV should be postponed until thesignificance of these costs has been fully clarified. Cameroon,on behalf of the African Group, noted that any institutionalstructure will have to be accountable to the COP. The UK notedthe important distinction of the role of the COP to provide bothpolicy and operational guidelines for the financial mechanism.Norway supported Sweden and said that it was possible to improveon the preciseness of the guidance to financial mechanism. Indiaurged that the text agreed in Nairobi be used as the basis ofdiscussions.

IN THE CORRIDORS

Informal consultations were held on Sunday to address severalunresolved issues. Resisting sea, sun, solicitors and hairplaiters, delegates focused their attention on the size andcomposition of the Bureau. Rule 21 of the Draft Rules ofProcedure deals with the size of the Bureau. At the second ICCBDsession in Nairobi, Antigua and Barbuda, supported by other SIDS,suggested that the size of the Bureau be enlarged. While noagreement was reached on this in Nairobi, debate continued wellinto late Sunday evening on enlarging the Bureau from 5 to 10members (2 members from each of the regions). Once agreement wasreached on having a 10 member Bureau, regional group met tonominate members so that the Bureau could meet as soon aspossible on Monday to begin its work.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

Western Canada Wilderness Committee: Biodiversity Destruction inCanada's Temperate Rainforests-A slideshow presentation from8:30-9:45 am at the Eleuthra Room, Crystal Palace Hotel.

UNEP: National Biodiversity Studies: Strategies and ActionPlans from 1.00 - 2:45 pm at the Eleuthra Room, Crystal PalaceHotel.

Ramsar: Opportunities for Co-operation between the RamsarConvention and the COP from 6:00-8:00 pm. at the Eleuthra Room,Crystal Palace Hotel.

The Nature Conservancy: NGO Access to GEF Projects at 3:00 pm. in the Cat Island Rooms A & B, Crystal Palace Hotel.

NGO Meeting: Implementation and Enforcement of the COP at10 a.m in the Cat Island (Lobby Level), Tower M, Crystal PalaceHotel.

WORKSHOPS

Western Canada Wilderness Committee: Biodiversity Destruction inCanada's Temperate Rainforests-A slideshow presentation from8:30-9:45 am at the Eleuthra Room, Crystal Palace Hotel.

UNEP: National Biodiversity Studies: Strategies and ActionPlans from 1.00 - 2:45 pm at the Eleuthra Room, Crystal PalaceHotel.

Ramsar: Opportunities for Co-operation between the RamsarConvention and the COP from 6:00-8:00 pm. at the Eleuthra Room,Crystal Palace Hotel.

The Nature Conservancy: NGO Access to GEF Projects at 3:00 pm. in the Cat Island Rooms A & B, Crystal Palace Hotel.

NGO Meeting: Implementation and Enforcement of the COP at10 a.m in the Cat Island (Lobby Level), Tower M, Crystal PalaceHotel.

OFFICIAL SESSIONS

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE: The Committee of the Whole willmeet at 10:00 am to hear a presentation by Mr. Mohamed El-Ashry,Chairman of the GEF, which will be followed by a question andanswer period. The Committee will continue consideration ofAgenda Item 6.