Minister Gabriel: International community must noticeably improve protection of natural resources
The international community will not achieve its goal to significantly reduce the destruction of nature by 2010. Therefore a new strategy to conserve biodiversity is indispensable. This is the result of the discussions of 50 renowned environmental experts from all over the world who followed an invitation of the German Environment Ministry to attend a two-day closed meeting in Bonn. Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel: "The international community has to significantly increase its efforts to protect our natural resources."
The conference participants agreed in that in future the international community should focus its political endeavours more on the capacities of ecosystems. Ecosystems are the foundation for all aspects of human existence on this planet. They supply the capital stock for the world’s economy: fertile soil as the basis for food, intact seas for stable fish stocks, forests with their capacity to store carbon - to give just some examples illustrating the importance of well functioning ecosystems. All in all, experts believe that efforts must be increased noticeably.
The participants of the conference included former heads of negotiations of major UN environmental conventions and scientists from all over the world, i.a. the former environment ministers of Ecuador and Costa Rica, Yolanda Kakabadse und Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, the former environment chief of the Clinton administration, Frank Loy, as well as the leader of the study on the global economic significance of biodiversity, the Indian economist Pavan Sukhdev.
"Better protection for natural resources will also be more cost-efficient for the world economy than having to pay continuously for the effects of the destruction of natural resources. Therefore it is of utmost importance that the UN General Assembly decides on a new ambitious roadmap for the global protection of the natural foundations of life." said Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel.
Having hosted the UN-CBD conference in Bonn in May 2008, Germany is currently chairing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The focus of the German presidency includes the preparation of the special meeting of the UN General Assembly to take place next year, which will decide on the goals for the worldwide protection of nature for the next decade. The closed meeting in Bonn served to consult - outside the regular UN negotiation process - with independent experts from all over the world and hear their comments und advice for the further development of global policies to protect natural resources.