Emphasis to be placed on UN Conference on Biological Diversity in Bonn and enforcement in the conservation of species
Germany and China plan to cooperate more closely in the field of nature conservation. During a visit to Beijing and Guangzhou the two Directors responsible for nature conservation, Jochen Flasbarth and Wan Bentai, agreed to strengthen their cooperation concerning the UN Conference on Biodiversity which is due to take place in Bonn next year. Both countries will support and work for a global network of protected areas which is needed to safeguard biodiversity and special attention will be directed towards ecosystems particularly suited for carbon storage such as forests, moors and wetlands.
The destruction of these ecosystems is a stress for our planet in two ways – on the one hand it speeds up climate change and on the other hand it reinforces the loss in biological diversity. As was agreed, China will identify areas where an improved level of protection will serve both climate and nature conservation. Germany will provide support in this endeavour. A first group of Chinese experts will already come to Germany in December to discuss future action.
Another focus of cooperation will be the enforcement of international provisions for the conservation of species. Both sides agreed to cooperate more intensively in combating illegal trade in animal and plant species. Of particular importance in this respect is the illegal trade in ivory. Mr Flasbarth was joined by Dieterich Jelden, head of the species conservation enforcement body attached to the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, in his visit to the enforcement agencies in Beijing and Guangzhou. During their visit they also went to see the stocks of confiscated ivory and discussed prosecution measures for ivory trade. Confiscations made in Germany indicate that ivory is increasingly being smuggled via transit countries in Europe but is possibly also taking place in other regions. An agreement was reached on a joint programme to combat illegal trade in wild animal and plant species. The programme will be carried out at EU level.
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Picture of the visit to the warehouse of confiscated ivory from illegal trade at the customs police at Guangzhou.