Germany will host the United Nations nature conservation summit scheduled for 2008. On behalf of Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, environmental state secretary Matthias Machnig today issued the invitation to the delegates at this year's Conference of the Parties on Biological Diversity in Curitiba/Brazil. "Together with climate protection, protecting and preserving biological diversity is one of the key tasks for the 21st century," said Machnig. "Germany feels especially committed to the goals of the UN Convention. Therefore, on behalf of Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, I have invited the Parties to the Convention to Germany in 2008, in order to further our joint action for preserving and securing our natural foundations of life." Machnig leads the German delegation in the ministerial segment of the Biodiversity Conference in Curitiba, in which around 190 contracting parties are taking part.
Machnig noted at the Conference that the international community has set itself ambitious targets in order to halt the dramatic loss of biodiversity and reverse the trend. The aim is to significantly reduce the loss of biodiversity by 2010. One of the most important instruments for achieving this is the establishment of a global network of protected areas by 2010 on land and by 2012 offshore. Especially as a result of a German initiative, two years ago the contracting parties adopted an ambitious working programme. Machnig called Natura 2000, a system of protected areas being set up in the EU, a good contribution to the global network. Germany has designated more than ten percent of its area and 20 percent of its coastal EEZ as protected areas, and notified them to Brussels.
"We are aware that the efforts to date are not yet sufficient," said state secretary Machnig. "That is why the international community must do more to preserve our natural foundations of life. The conservation of forests is not only of great importance for the protection of biodiversity, it is also vital for climate protection. Securing biodiversity is also a key element in the fight against hunger and poverty."
Machnig also called for progress in the distribution of profits from the use of biological resources, for example in the development of pharmaceutical products. "This is a step towards greater justice," said Machnig, "especially for developing countries. Necessary steps include legally binding measures to achieve benefit sharing for providers, users and user countries. Germany has great interest in the successful conclusion of the negotiations on an international regime for access and benefit sharing." The Conference of the Parties in Curitiba aims to adopt a timetable for elaborating such a regime.
The Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD) is the first international agreement which comprehensively regulates the management of nature. The CBD is one of the three conventions adopted at the World Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, alongside the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention to Combat Desertification.
On the fringe of the Conference in Curitiba Machnig conducted numerous bilateral talks, i.a. with the designated new head of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Achim Steiner, with the Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva, and the Executive Secretary of the CBD secretariat, Dr. Ahmed Djoghlaf. Steiner welcomed the fact that Germany will organise the next Conference of the Parties and thus provide impetus for the preservation and protection of biodiversity. "I am convinced that under Germany's leadership the 2008 Conference of the Parties in Germany will take further important and decisive steps towards achieving the 2010 target at the," said Djoghlaf.
Further information:
- Speech by State Secretary Matthias Machnig at COP 8: Ministerial Plenary