Griet Verbeke: "All of the parties want to reach an agreement in Nagoya”
![](http://www.eutrio.be/files/bveu/imagecache/node_main_img/media/source1856/images/COP10Nagoya/Griet_Verbeke_uitgeknipt.jpg "Griet Verbeke: "All of the parties want to reach an agreement in Nagoya”")
The 10th COP on the Convention on Biological Diversity is currently being held in Nagoya (Japan). Hundreds of experts from all parties have already been negotiating for more than a week on a new strategic plan to halt the loss of biodiversity and on a protocol establishing rules for accessing genetic resources and sharing the benefits arising from their utilisation. Griet Verbeke from the Belgian delegation tells us how the negotiations are going.
Griet Verbeke: The negotiations are proving quite difficult right now. As expected, there´s still no agreement on the so-called package deal. But for other dossiers as well - such as marine environment, biofuels and the link with climate change - no agreement is in sight yet.
Most parties appear to have adopted a wait-and-see attitude - they´re waiting for a breakthrough on the package deal in order to make concessions.
Is it still realistic to expect an agreement?
Naturally, we are still hoping for an agreement by the end of this week. The atmosphere also improved somewhat during the weekend: it´s clear that all parties really would like to reach an agreement, but not at any price.
Now there is also more political pressure to achieve progress than there was for the COP in Copenhagen last year. I think that everyone is acutely aware of this, and hopefully that will be one of the motives for arriving at a good outcome. But of course it is possible that something will still unravel at the last moment.
Exactly what does the package deal contain?
A very wide range of subjects are being dealt with in Nagoya, but there are three major dossiers which are closely linked to one another: a new strategic plan for the period 2011-2020, legislation on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS), and the financing of the new strategic plan. These dossiers are tightly interconnected and form part of a package deal.
One thing appears certain: if no agreement is reached on the financing and the ABS, then the new strategic plan won´t go through either.
How are the negotiations conducted at such a world summit?
Every day there are two parallel working groups which negotiate on the various dossiers. All of the parties put forward their positions there and we try to arrive at a text which everyone can agree on.
In addition, a large number of subjects that are politically sensitive, such as climate change, are discussed in an informal working group. In this way we can make progress on those dossiers without blocking other – less politically sensitive – dossiers.
These meetings go on from the morning until well after midnight, in some cases. We also have informal contacts with other parties in order to know their positions and to seek a compromise.
The negotiations are a lot of work, certainly because during the Presidency we have to prepare, elaborate and defend the EU positions. So there isn´t a great deal of time left over for eating or sleeping!
What is actually so important about the negotiations in Nagoya?
Everything having to do with biodiversity is also inseparably associated with climate change. If we were to invest more in safeguarding ecosystems and ecosystem services, that would also help in the fight against global warming. Moreover, if we don´t take action now, the cost will only grow greater over the long term.
Most people aren´t aware of the economic value of preserving biodiversity. I’m hoping that, with the COP, we will succeed in getting that message across to the general public.
