Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel: Conference results are a solid basis for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention in Germany in 2008
German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel considers the results of the 8th meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Curitiba (Brazil) a solid basis for achieving substantial progress in the negotiations in Germany in 2008. "The meeting has opened up important options which the international community now has to take up with great commitment. I do not want to gloss over the fact that the pace of negotiations is still far behind what is needed."
Sigmar Gabriel expressly stressed that the Brazilian hosts were not to blame for this, since they had succeeded in creating a constructive negotiation atmosphere. "A multi-national process geared towards achieving unanimity among almost 190 Parties to the Convention is necessarily arduous and time-consuming. If we are serious about trying to conserve biological diversity on this planet, there is no alternative to joint negotiations under the UN auspices."
Minister Gabriel outlined that Germany as the host country of the forthcoming COP had clearly committed itself to its responsibility both domestically and with regard to being a driving force for biological diversity conservation. Sigmar Gabriel: "The particularly positive feedback following our invitation is an incentive for us. In 2008 the international community of states will have to account for the level of progress made so far in terms of clearly reducing the loss of biodiversity worldwide. We want to contribute to a concept that goes beyond 2010 and to clear agreements on how to conserve and sustainable use nature and on how to finally come to a fair distribution between poor countries and rich countries."
The COP took a number of crucial decisions. Most important for developing countries is the agreed timeframe for negotiations on an access and benefit sharing regime regarding the use of biological diversity. A working group is to finalize the details of a regime as early as possible before 2010. Minister Gabriel: "I am glad that we have sent out a clear signal that this issue, which is central to developing countries, will not be indefinitely postponed."
With regard to the establishment of a global protected-area network there was agreement about further proceedings and regular progress reviews. Minister Gabriel: "With a view to the still dramatic deforestation rate and the enormous deterioration of marine ecosystems I had wished for more. Since the focus in Germany in 2008 will be on forest conservation, Germany will become particularly active in the area of primeval forest conservation in the years to come. As regards the conservation of highly sensitive marine ecosystems, the UN General Assembly will have to point the way for swift conservation measures." Minister Gabriel expressed his disappointment that resolutions against illegal logging were inappropriately weak.
Further decisions were taken on an Island Biodiversity Programme of Work, technology transfer and a global education initiative. Minister Gabriel also appreciated the unanimous decisions to refrain from using the so-called terminator technology and genetically modified trees also in the future. In both areas there is still a great lack of knowledge about the ecologic, social and economic impacts.
Securing and providing adequate financial resources is vital for the conservation of biological diversity. For this purpose the existing financing mechanism GEF (Global Environment Facility) will have to be equipped with sufficient funds by all donor countries and new financing mechanisms will have to be developed. A working group will also tackle this topic in the next two years.
Further Information:
- Press Release as at 29.03.2006: Germany to host 2008 World Summit on Biological Diversity
- Speech of State Secretary Matthias Machnig as at 29.03.2006