Statement

Statement by Dr. Hamdallah Zedan, Executive Secretary, to the Opening Session

In his Opening Statement to the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Hamdallah Zedan, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity referred to the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention, noting that " One of the striking aspects of the last ten years has been the change in thinking and perception with regard to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and, most notably, the growing movement to put biodiversity issues at the forefront of efforts to achieve sustainable development and poverty eradication". Recalling that "The Convention started as a set of principles to which we all agreed to adhere", Mr. Zedan underlined: "It has evolved into a comprehensive programme of work which is now moving fully into a phase of implementation".

Publication Date
2004-02-09