European statement for the biodiversity summit in Nagoya
Delegates attending the biodiversity conference at Ghent today crystallized their expectations of the international summit to be held at Nagoya in October. They emphasized that only an integrated policy with sufficient resources for co-operation, specific measures, research and communication could hope to succeed in preserving worldwide biodiversity.
Around four hundred delegates travelled to Ghent for the conference on ‘Biodiversity in a changed world’. Over three days they debated possible strategies to maintain and increase biodiversity. They formulated their conclusions in the ‘Message from Ghent’, a European statement to the international COP10.
COP10 is the 10th Conference of Parties of the Biodiversity Convention, to be held in October at Nagoya (Japan). Government leaders from around the world will settle a new strategic plan for the preservation and restoration of worldwide biodiversity.
Message from Ghent
The international targets set for biodiversity in 2010 are not going to be achieved. The Council of the European Union therefore drafted a post-2010 strategy for biodiversity in March last. The ultimate goal is to restore the European Union’s biodiversity and ecosystem completely by 2050.
Delegates at the conference signed up to the ‘Message from Ghent’ strategy. They added six guidelines, which are vital in order to fulfil the post-2010 strategy.
- Integration at several levels
The approach to biodiversity needs to be integrated into the various levels of policy nationally, Europe-wide and worldwide. The policy must also take account of the effect of biodiversity on our economic system and on global warming.
- Greater co-operation
All interested parties, especially in the private sector, need to work together in order to counteract the loss of biodiversity.
- More resources
More money is essential. The long-term economic costs of biodiversity loss would be far greater than the investment required now in order to preserve biodiversity.
- Sound scientific research
More and better research is needed into loss of biodiversity in order to make good policy choices.
- Communicating and awareness-raising
The consequences of biodiversity loss are less familiar to the public at large than are the consequences of global warming. More therefore needs to be invested in communicating and awareness-raising.
- The European Union’s responsibility
The European Union can have a great influence on biodiversity both within and beyond its borders. The European Union therefore needs to play a pioneering role in preserving diversity.
Download the “Message from Ghent for Biodiversity post-2010”
