COP 11 biodiversity: Aichi targets - Opening remarks by Braulio Ferreira De Souza Dias, executive secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity

OPENING REMARKS BY

                                            BRAULIO FERREIRA DE SOUZA DIAS

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

                                              

ELEVENTH MEETING OF THE PARTIES

TO THE

CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

  

Hyderabad, India

8 OCTOBER 2012

Excellency Ms. Jayanthi Natarajan, Minister of Environment and Forests of India,
Excellency Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh,
Mr. Matsumoto, former Minister of Environment of Japan and COP-10 President,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Through you, Excellency, I would like to express our very deep gratitude to the Government of India for its generosity and for hosting this very important gathering in Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, in such a wonderful and inspiring setting.

Our deep gratitude also goes to the authorities of the State of Andhra Pradesh and the City of Hyderabad for their very warm hospitality and the welcome extended to participants.

Excellency,

Your presence among us today is a reflection of the importance that India attaches to achieving the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity: the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

I cannot think of a better place to hold the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties. Indeed, India boasts an extraordinarily rich biodiversity - as evidenced by its membership in the group of megadiverse countries - as well as one of the most ancient, vast and diversified cultures in the world. The huge body of traditional knowledge associated with biological diversity developed in India is both oral and coded, as are the texts of Indian systems of medicine, such as Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha.

Notions, values, concepts and ideas, present and past, are rooted and nurtured in traditional knowledge, and this richness and particular worldview is expressed and realized in many different ways, from languages to social structure, subsistence practices, medical and agricultural knowledge, as well as artistic and religious expressions, to mention just a few.

Yet, life in India is in many ways a blend of modernity and tradition. Let me recall, in this connection, a statement of Mahatma Gandhi.

He said:

“I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures and traditions of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible.”

Gandhi implied, of course, that there should be no boundaries between modern life and tradition, and that a borderless mind and borderless thinking alone can lead to a happy and prosperous world. I invite all delegates to reflect on these wise words in the next two weeks.

I also take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to the Governments that have provided generous financial support to ensure large participation by developing countries in this meeting. They are the Governments of Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and Sweden.  I thank them for their active and continued support for the Convention. In this connection, I am pleased to inform you that no less than 173 Parties have pre-registered for this meeting and more than 14,400 participants are pre-registered, making it one of the largest biodiversity gatherings ever.

The tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties led to two historic achievements: the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization and the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and its Aichi Targets. Furthermore, at its previous meetings, the Conference of the Parties had adopted an impressive body of principles, guidelines and other decisions to implement the Convention.

We must now put all our efforts, energy and resources into implementing these decisions and agreements.

In this connection, I invite you to review progress toward the entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol and ensure that all Parties receive the support needed to ratify it and to discharge their obligations under the Protocol, so as to facilitate its early entry into force and effective implementation.

Ninety-two Parties to the Convention from all regions have signed the Nagoya Protocol and, thus far, six Parties have deposited their instruments of ratification (Gabon, Jordan, Mexico, Rwanda, Seychelles and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic). I am aware that many other Parties are working on their national ratification processes and are expected to ratify in the near term. I urge you all to ratify as soon as practicable, to ensure that the first meeting of the Parties to the Protocol is held in conjunction with our next meeting.

In the two years since COP-10 in Nagoya, Parties have embarked on an effort to review their national biodiversity strategy and action plans (NBSAPs) to reflect the targets agreed in Nagoya. Thanks to generous support from the Government of Japan, through the Japan Biodiversity Fund, and from other donors, the Secretariat has organized 21 regional and subregional workshops with more than 900 participants from 166 parties in support of the review of NBSAPs.

In this connection, I am pleased to report that 10 Parties have reviewed their NBSAPs in line with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and many more are in the process of reviewing their NBSAPs. Up to now, GEF has approved projects to support 109 Parties to review their NBSAPs, in accordance with the decision taken by COP-10, and 11 more are pending. Additionally, 107 Parties have submitted their protected areas action plans, contemplating both continental and marine areas and including needs assessment and new national targets.

The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets will be central to our actions in this decade. I urge you, in Hyderabad, to mobilize the financial resources needed to enable developing countries to achieve the Aichi Targets at national level. In so doing, we will need to be creative and involve all partners.

We need to go beyond needs identification to adopt new approaches and mechanisms, emphasizing the leveraging of resources from existing sources through mainstreaming, incorporating sustainability criteria in government procurement, reviewing and adjusting of economic instruments, further engaging the business sector, etc. We will be judged by our acts, not our words.

I am pleased to report that 25 Parties have made submissions on resources allocated to biodiversity from different funding sources. These reports, though preliminary in nature, do offer a useful perspective on the baseline for the conference’s deliberations on resource mobilization, as well as relevant information on the diversity of funding sources available for biodiversity.

Beyond these immediate issues and the many other items on our busy agenda, I would like to invite you to reflect on how we “do business” under the Convention. We need to rethink our approach to the Convention and its Protocols, notably to ensure that proper linkages are maintained between them and that they operate in an integrated manner.

I also believe that, at this stage, we should move towards a more pragmatic approach, with less emphasis on negotiations and more emphasis on experience-sharing in our pursuit of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. To do this, we must rethink meetings of the Conference of the Parties with a view to having a more streamlined agenda, which will leave more time for needed dialogues and sharing of experiences on issues of implementation. I hope to discuss this issue with you in the next two weeks and give shape to this new approach.

The mainstreaming of biodiversity in national development agendas remains a challenge for most Parties. Biodiversity should not be perceived only as a problem, but rather, for what it really is: a crucial asset which underpins sustainable development and is closely linked to many social and economic issues.

Let me also recall that the United Nations Rio + 20 common vision of « the Future We Want » recognized that biodiversity plays a critical role in maintaining ecosystems that provide essential services, which are the foundation of human wellbeing and underpin our efforts to eradicate poverty. In this connection, the delivery of a new framework for after 2015 towards sustainable development goals, to be discussed by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2013, provides a unique opportunity to emphasize the importance of biodiversity and ecosystems services for sustainable development goals, including the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. I invite the Conference of the Parties to seize this opportunity.

Additionally, we also need to put in place an effective and continuous monitoring system for the Aichi Targets, so as to be aware of whether we remain on track with regard to achieving the Targets and inform our decisions accordingly.

Since my appointment in January of this year, I have been reflecting, and discussing with my staff, on how to restructure the Secretariat and how to prioritize its activities so as to best serve Parties in this new era of focus on implementation. I believe that the Secretariat – working with and through partners – should strive to catalyse and provide support to developing countries by strengthening their capacity to implement the Convention and its strategic goals and targets, and that this could be best achieved through a more structured and continuous capacity development processes at regional and subregional levels. To do this, we need to strengthen our collaboration with key partners, such as our host organization, UNEP, as well as UNDP, FAO, UNESCO and others.

In this context, we should also make full use of all the mechanisms envisaged under the Convention in order to achieve our common objectives. I particularly see a need to strengthen scientific, technical and technological cooperation amongst Parties and to make better use of the clearing-house mechanism to facilitate and recognize such cooperation. I look forward to discussions on these matters in the coming days.

I believe we need to promote stronger recognition of and support for community-based approaches to pursuing the human benefits of biodiversity conservation, including food security and poverty alleviation. While we are aware of the critical role of local communities in the stewardship and sustainable management of natural resources, we often tend to take their efforts for granted. Not only do I think that we need to acknowledge this important contribution to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, I am also convinced that there is a lot that we can learn from their approaches.

I believe that we must also continue to work closely with indigenous communities, from whom we have much to learn with regard to the sustainable management of biodiversity. They are key partners.

We also must strengthen the engagement of other partners, in particular the business community, which stands to contribute a lot to the achievement of our common goals.

I wish to seize this opportunity to recognize the very significant contribution of cities and local authorities to our efforts to achieve the goals of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. Indeed, our actions must be coordinated at all levels, not only horizontally but also vertically. This is why I most welcome the third summit for mayors and governors, the Cities for Life Summit, the establishment of networks of cities and subnational authorities, as well as the engagement of members of the Advisory Committee of cities and subnational governments.

Finally I would like to make a strong call to all Parties, partners and stakeholders. If we really want to fully achieve the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, urgent attention needs to be given to at least half of them to ensure their full implementation, or at least significant progress, by 2015.

These are:

• Target 1, to promote public awareness and engagement;
• Target 2, to incorporate the values of biodiversity into national development and poverty reduction strategies and plans and into national accounting and reporting;
• Target 3, to implement the reform of economic incentives and the creation or expansion of financial mechanisms;
• Target 4, to promote sustainable production and consumption, where I would suggest an emphasis on the establishment of green procurement rules and promotion of an inclusive green economy;
• Target 10, to reduce the pressures on coral reefs and other vulnerable ecosystems impacted by climate change;
• Target 11, where an early push for the expansion of protected areas systems should be made to allow sufficient time to reach effectiveness by 2020;
• Target 15, where significant progress should be made to establish scalled-up restoration initiatives to allow for the growth of trees and other organisms by 2020;
• Target 16, to ratify the Nagoya Protocol and adopt the necessary national legislation and governance structure for access and benefit-sharing;
• Target 17, to adopt revised NBSAPs, including national targets, as policy instruments, with full participation of all stakeholders and sectors; and
• Target 20, to mobilize the financial resources needed to support the implementation of all the other Aichi Targets.

The decision you will take in this Conference on target-setting for resource mobilization, as well as the decision on the budget for the Convention for the biennium 2013–2014, will be crucial to pushing for the implementation of the Aichi Targets. Yes, we are facing times of financial crisis, but times of crisis are the best opportunities to make substantive changes in the way we do business. Expenditures on biodiversity should not be seeing as costs – they should be seen as investments that will pay back with significant environmental, social and economic benefits for all our societies.

I would like to end with an invitation to each Party and partner to this Convention to select one or more of the Aichi Targets andto become a regional or a global champion for its achievement.

With this, I wish you the best of luck in your deliberations in these two weeks, and I reiterate our deep appreciation to the Government of India, the authorities of Andhra Pradesh and the City of Hyderabad for hosting this meeting in such a wonderful and inspiring setting.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Namaste

COP 11 biodiversity: ction in support of Biodiversity urgently needed: UN Meeting on Biodiversity opens in Hyderabad India

Hyderabad, India 8 October 2012 - Representatives from over 170 countries today began deliberations in Hyderabad, India, on the way forward to protect the planet’s biodiversity.

The eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11­) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), known as COP 11 for short, follows on the historic outcomes of the 2010 Nagoya biodiversity summit.  In Nagoya, governments adopted a new Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, and two new supplementary protocols to the CBD, setting the course for halting biodiversity loss by the end of the current decade.

Mr. Ryu Matsumoto, the former Minister of the Environment of Japan, who served as COP 10 President in Nagoya, said at the opening:  "While the COP10 outcomes are remarkable achievements, there will be no change unless they are implemented. At COP11, I trust that we can agree on further measures to overcome challenges that require additional efforts."

At the meeting, the Government of India assumed the Presidency of COP 11.  During their term, which runs from 2012 until 2014, the government of India will preside over the implementation of the work of the Convention, including the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

Ms Jayanthi Natarajan, Minister of Environment and Forests, Government of India and COP 11 President, said that: “The present global economic crisis should not deter us, but on the contrary encourage us to invest more towards amelioration of the natural capital for ensuring uninterrupted ecosystem services, on which all life on Earth depends. Let us all be inspired by what Mahatma Gandhi said: ‘The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems’. So let us commit ourselves to what we are capable of doing.”

In his opening remarks, Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, the Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity said: “I urge you, in Hyderabad, to mobilize the financial resources needed to enable developing countries to achieve the Aichi Targets at national level. In so doing, we will need to be creative and involve all partners.”

“We need to … adopt new approaches and mechanisms, emphasizing the leveraging of resources from existing sources through mainstreaming, incorporating sustainability criteria in government procurement, reviewing and adjusting of economic instruments, and further engaging the business sector,” adding, “We will be judged by our acts, not our words.”

The meeting is mandated to consider, among others, the mobilization of resources in support of the Global Strategy for Biodiversity and its Aichi Targets, a report on the identification of ecologically and biologically significant areas in marine ecosystems as well as a number of other items related to the protection of biodiversity in marine ecosystems; ecosystem restoration and the relationship between biodiversity and climate change.

The meeting continues until 19 October 2012, with a high-level segment featuring the participation of ministers and heads of State that runs from 16 to 19 October 2012.

COP 11 biodiversity: Governments invest too slowly in planet’s natural wealth, WWF tells CBD delegates

Governments meeting in India to make key decisions on our planet’s future have to prove the deal they struck two years ago was not just a display of good will but a serious commitment.

Over 190 nations will meet in Hyderabad from 8th to 19th October to discuss implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, a legally binding treaty governing the sustainable use of our planet’s natural wealth.

Two years ago governments agreed to set the world on a course to help prevent further species extinctions and the decline of the world’s most valuable nature.

But since this historic achievement, many have failed to deliver on the promises and commitments made in Japan. WWF is calling on all nations who gather in Hyderabad to urgently start implementing the previously agreed targets.

“What was agreed in Nagoya really has the power to halt the dramatic loss of biodiversity across the globe and address the main drivers of the destruction.”

“But now governments must prove that Nagoya was not just a platform for empty promises. They need to start taking real steps and implement the targets and commitments they agreed on,” said Lasse Gustavsson, WWF International’s Executive Director for Conservation.

“The targets agreed at the CBD in 2010 show that countries have the will to come together to protect our planet. Now they must put money behind their promises and turn their words into action.”

Progress…but not enough

An overwhelming 91 percent of Parties to the CBD have developed strategies and plans for their approach to protect nature and biodiversity. But only 14 Parties have revised their plans taking into consideration the strategic plan agreed in Nagoya, and even fewer have taken measures to integrate the services that nature provides into their development plans.

Yet even amidst this dismal performnce, some nations have stepped up and are starting to make good on the commitments they voiced in Nagoya.

In Indonesia, the government has agreed a US$28.5 million debt-for-nature swap with the US for a forest-carbon-biodiversity conservation program.

In Guyana, a conservation trust fund was launched in July 2012 that paves the way for establishing a National Protected Areas Trust Fund.

And European countries have agreed a strategy to meet the CBD targets across the European Union which if implemented could help halt biodiversity loss by 2020.

“Governments can only be serious about these targets if they are prepared to invest in achieving them. We need to see richer countries helping poorer countries and all countries increasing their domestic budgets,” said Rolf Hogan, Biodiversity Policy Coordinator at WWF International.

“Nature underpins our existence on earth and governments need to invest in nature if they are serious about our future. Protecting biodiversity and nature is an investment in the future.”

Reconstructed 1918 Influenza Virus Has Yielded Key Insights, Scientists Say

The scientific story of the flu virus of 1918 and the modern flu viruses

The genetic sequencing and reconstruction of the 1918 influenza virus that killed 50 million people worldwide have advanced scientists’ understanding of influenza biology and yielded important information on how to prevent and control future pandemics, according to a new commentary by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and several other institutions.

By sequencing the 1918 virus, researchers were able to confirm that the viruses that caused influenza pandemics in 1957, 1968, and 2009 were all descended in part from the 1918 virus. Studies showed that the 2009 pandemic virus had structural similarities with the 1918 virus and explained why younger people, who had never been exposed to the 1918 virus or its early descendants, were most vulnerable to infection by the 2009 influenza virus. 

As a result, public health officials were able to target limited vaccine supplies to predominantly younger people, who needed vaccine protection most, rather than the elderly, who were at lower risk of infection in 2009, but are traditionally the most important target group for vaccination.

Further, determining the physical structure of parts of the 1918 virus, particularly the portions that are consistent across influenza viruses, has informed the ongoing development of candidate “universal” influenza vaccines that may be given infrequently yet protect broadly against multiple influenza viruses. In addition, by comparing the1918 virus to related influenza viruses found in animals, scientists have learned some of the changes necessary for influenza viruses to adapt from an animal to a human host. This has led to more targeted surveillance of certain influenza viruses in animals that may be more likely to move to humans.

More generally, the authors say that reconstruction of the 1918 influenza virus has furthered scientific understanding of how novel influenza viruses emerge and evolve. Additionally, study of the 1918 influenza virus has helped clarify the critical effects of the human immune system’s response to viral infection and the importance of bacterial co-infections that often follow the influenza infection. In sum, the authors write, learning more about the 1918 pandemic influenza virus has led to important insights that could help prevent or mitigate seasonal and pandemic influenza.

Good appearance and self confidence go hand in hand, reveals a research study by the Center for Human Appearance, University of Pennsylvania

Face-lifts boost self-confidence, study shows

While Ponce de Leon may not have ever found the Fountain of Youth, Liverpool-born Plastic Surgeon Professor Laurence Kirwan says that one of the keys to feeling young again is the psychological benefits that accompany certain cosmetic procedures.
A study conducted by the Center for Human Appearance at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that 87% of patients felt satisfied following cosmetic surgery, with the added benefits of improvements in their overall body image and with the part of their body that was transformed. These women also felt less negative about their body image in both work and social situations.

During a particularly poor economy, Dr. Kirwan went on to say that this increased confidence could prolong the time a person works, especially when retirement is becoming a less realistic option.

“Another important point worth mentioning is that modern technology has drastically reduced the number of complications arising from traditional forms of some of the most popular procedures,” Dr. Kirwan noted.

Face-lift surgeries such as the SMAS procedure, in which deep facial tissues are tightened and the skin is re-draped over the face, are generally recognized as being some of the safer plastic surgery options.

With over 30 years of experience as a surgeon, Dr. Kirwan approaches cosmetic surgery with a scientific eye and an artistic sensibility which strives for perfection and transcendent beauty.

“Beauty is hard to define but it is instantly recognizable,” he surmised. “A plastic surgeon works from within; changing the framework and re-draping the surface mantle to create beauty.”

However, Dr. Kirwan warned that those who have unrealistic expectations or underlying psychological issues unrelated to their appearance, may experience poor outcomes and disatisfaction.

“Plastic surgery helps you feel better about yourself. It may also change the way people respond to you in a social setting. it doesn’t transform you into someone else,” he noted.

What is lung cancer and the genetics behind it? Those who smoke are highly prone to mutations leading to lung cancer

Lung cancer mostly happens to smokers, but it can happen to nonsmokers as well. However, a study finds that smokers’ lung cancer cells are worse off. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis looked at mutations in lung cancer cells from 17 patients.

Cancer cells are mutated – by definition, that’s what cancer is – but researcher Ramaswamy Govindan says the surprise was in the degree of mutation:

“The mutation frequency was ten-fold higher in smokers compared to never-smokers.” 

The researchers say mutations might be matched with treatment drugs – but they emphasize doctors don’t know yet if they can.

Courtesy: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA

Basic Information About Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and the second most diagnosed cancer in both men and women in the United States. In 2008, 14% of all cancer diagnoses and 28% of all cancer deaths were due to lung cancer. After increasing for decades, lung cancer incidence and mortality among men and women are decreasing, paralleling decreases in cigarette smoking.

Lung cancer begins in the lungs and may spread to lymph nodes or other organs in the body, such as the brain.⁴ Cancer from other organs may spread to the lungs. When cancer cells spread from one organ to another, they are called metastases.

Lung cancers usually are grouped into two main types called small cell and non-small cell.⁴ These types of lung cancer grow differently and are treated differently. Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer.

Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. Lung cancer also can be caused by using other types of tobacco (such as pipes or cigars), breathing secondhand smoke, being exposed to substances such as asbestos or radon at home or work, and having a family history of lung cancer.