Ahmed Djoghlaf & Tommy Koh for The Straits Times 22 Nov 10;
THE Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992, gave birth to three conventions: the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the Convention to Combat Desertification.
The Conference of Parties of the United Nations FCCC, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December last year, ended in chaos and with very modest results.
In sharp contrast, the Conference of Parties of the CBD, held in October in Nagoya, Japan, was harmonious and productive.
Why is it important to protect our biodiversity? It is important because it is a source of our food and medicine.
During the past 50 years, we have lost 20 per cent of the land suitable for agriculture, 90 per cent of the large commercial fisheries and one-third of our forests.
As former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan has written: 'Human health depends, to a larger extent than we might imagine, on the health of other species and on the healthy functioning of other ecosystems.'
Destroy the ecosystems and we will eventually threaten life on Earth.
The third edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, issued in May and based on information from 120 national reports submitted by parties, demonstrated that we continue to lose biodiversity at an unprecedented rate.
The report confirmed that the rate of extinction is today up to 1,000 times higher than the natural rate of extinction. It also warned that irreversible degradation may take place if ecosystems are pushed beyond certain tipping points, leading to the widespread loss of ecosystem services that we depend on greatly. It also predicted that the status of biodiversity for years to come will be determined by actions in the next couple of decades.
This sense of urgency motivated the 18,650 participants attending the Biodiversity Summit in Nagoya.
Indeed, the 193 parties to the CBD and their partners adopted several historic decisions that will permit the community of nations to meet the unprecedented challenges of the continued loss of biodiversity compounded by climate change.
Governments agreed on a package of measures that will ensure the ecosystems of the planet will continue to sustain human well-being into the future.
First, a new 10-year strategic plan containing ambitious targets was adopted with the engagement of all stakeholders, including the business community.
This plan integrates the findings of the study of the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity. It contains the means of implementation and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The plan has been adopted as the overarching biodiversity framework for the whole UN system. It will be translated, within two years, into national strategies and an action plan. Parties will also be requested to implement the plan at the local level.
Second, the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing was a historic achievement.
It is a major contribution to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals, by implementing the third objective of the convention: ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources.
The protocol also proposes the creation of a global multilateral mechanism that will operate in transboundary areas or situations where prior informed consent cannot be obtained. It is expected to come into force by 2012, with support from the Global Environment Facility.
Third, the provision of financial resources is crucial to the implementation of the Nagoya biodiversity compact.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced US$2 billion (S$2.6 billion) in financing and Minister of Environment Ryu Matsumoto announced the establishment of a Japan Biodiversity Fund. Additional financial resources were announced by France, the European Union and Norway.
Fourth, one of the most important initiatives adopted in Nagoya was a multi-year plan of action on cities and biodiversity adopted by the representatives of 650 municipalities, including 200 mayors, at the first Summit on Cities and Biodiversity.
The plan was submitted and adopted by the Conference of the Parties, thus establishing a strong partnership between ministers and the local authorities.
In adopting the plan, the participants endorsed the Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity. This tool was specially designed to monitor and assess the status of biodiversity in urban areas. It was developed at the initiative of Singapore, in partnership with the secretariat of the convention, and was test-bedded on 34 cities before its submission to the summit.
The World Cities Summit and the Mayors' Forum, held biennially in Singapore, will provide a unique opportunity to implement this new partnership at the service of the biodiversity agenda and the future of humanity.
Indeed, the battle for life on Earth will be won and lost in the cities of tomorrow, because the majority of humankind now live in urban, rather than rural, areas.
Ahmed Djoghlaf is the executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Tommy Koh is the chairman of the Earth Summit's main committee and preparatory committee.
