The programme of work
of the Convention and the Millennium Development
Goals
The Conference of the
Parties,
Recognizing
that world leaders at the Millennium Summit have
established the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as the focus of
global efforts to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy,
environmental degradation and discrimination against women, and
that the Millennium Development Goals agenda provides the framework
for the entire United Nations system to work coherently toward
these common ends,
Welcomingthe
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on
Sustainable Development and in particular its recognition of the
critical and essential role played by biodiversity in sustainable
development, poverty eradication, human well-being and the
livelihood and cultural integrity of people,
Noting
that achievement of the Millennium Development
Goals, in particular goal 1 (Combating poverty and hunger), Goal 6
(Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases), and goal 7
(Ensuring environmental sustainability) are dependent on the
effective conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use
of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the
benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic [TU3] resources,
Recallingthat the
Convention on Biological Diversity is the key international
instrument for the integration of biodiversity related issues into
the Millennium Development Agenda,
Concernedthat if
development activities are not undertaken in a manner consistent
with the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, they
may at the same time further degrade biological diversity and
undermine sustainability and hence limit achievement of the
Millennium Development Goals,
Noting
the linkage between biodiversity, food and
nutrition and the need to enhance sustainable use of biodiversity
to combat hunger and malnutrition, and thereby contribute to target
2 of goal 1 of the Millennium Development Goals (To halve between
1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from
hunger),
1.
Urges Parties, Governments, international financial
institutions, donors, and relevant interGovernmental organizations,
as a contribution towards the Millennium Development Goals,
to implement development activities in ways that are consistent
with, and do not compromise, the achievement of the objectives of
the Convention on Biological Diversity and the 2010 target,
including by improving environmental policies in relevant
development agencies and sectors such as through integrating
concerns relating to biodiversity and the Millennium Development
Goals more directly into environmental impact assessments,
strategic environmental assessments and other such tools, including
at the national level through the national strategies for
sustainable and the poverty reduction strategies and
programmes.
2.
Requests the Executive Secretary:
(a) To work
closely with the United Nations Development Programme, the United
Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Millennium Project of the
Secretary-General of the United Nations and others to find ways to
more effectively communicate the importance of biodiversity in
achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and to identify and
communicate the relationship between biodiversity and human
development targets at all levels;
(b) To
explore with the Secretary General of the United Nations, the
opportunity to establish the 2010 target as an interim milestone in
achieving the Millennium Development Goal 7 of ensuring
environmental sustainability by 2015; and
(c) To work
closely with the United Nations Development Programme, the United
Nations Environment Programme, the Millennium Project of the
Secretary General of the United Nations and others to find ways to
use the 2010 targets and indicators to help achieve target 9 (to
"reverse the loss of environmental resources") of
Millennium Development Goal 7 (to "ensure environmental
sustainability"), and the other relevant Millennium
Development goals, in particular Goal 1 to halve poverty and
hunger, and the health-related goals;
(d) To
continue to work together with the United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs, the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations and with other organizations, and to continue
to represent the Convention at sessions of the Commission on
Sustainable Development in order that biodiversity considerations
are fully integrated into the work of the cycle of Commission at
the twelfth session of the Commission;
3.
Invites Parties to promote the integration of the relevant
Millennium Development Goals into the implementation of the
programmes of work of the Convention;
4.
Urges Parties to report on their actions at the national
level to link efforts to achieve relevant Millennium Development
Goals and the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity
in their next national report;
5.
Requests the Executive Secretary, to take this into account
when revising the format for national reports;
6.
Noting with appreciation the ongoing initiatives of the
Executive Secretary, requests the Executive Secretary to
publish the full results of the study on "The programme of
work of the Convention and the Millennium Development Goals",
summarized in UNEP/CBD/COP/7/20/Add.1, and to promote further the
importance of biodiversity to sustainable development, livelihoods,
food security, poverty reduction and eradication in all relevant
forums and using a variety of appropriate media including, inter
alia, making full use of the clearing-house mechanism and
formalizing relevant activities under the programme of work for
implementation and outreach, including communication education and
public awareness;
7.
Requests the
Executive Secretary, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations and the International Plant
Genetic Resources Institute, and taking into account ongoing work,
to undertake the necessary consultations and bring forward options
for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its eighth
meeting for a cross-cutting initiative on biodiversity for food and
nutrition within the existing programme of work on agricultural
biodiversity of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and to work
together with relevant organizations, in order to strengthen
existing initiatives on food and nutrition, enhance synergies and
fully integrate biodiversity concerns into their work, with a view
to the achievement of target 2 of Millennium Development Goal 1 and
other relevant Millennium Development Goals.
