Background
The Convention has identified Parliamentarians as a major group since its inception. A cooperation agreement was signed between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union in 1996 (Annex of document A/51/402). In the United Nations Millennium Declaration (Resolution 55/2) and the 2005 World Summit Outcome (Resolution 60/1), Heads of State and Government resolved to strengthen further cooperation between the United Nations and national parliaments through the Inter-Parliamentary Union in all fields of work of the United Nations.
Several resolutions from the Inter-Parliamentary Union concern biodiversity. A resolution adopted unanimously by the 111th Assembly in Geneva, October 2004, on the role of Parliamentarians in preserving biodiversity, recognizes that the CBD is the principal international instrument addressing the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. It calls on governments to take more effective action in implementing the Convention in order to achieve the target set by the World Summit on Sustainable Development of reducing significantly the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, and urges parliamentarians to take action on ensuring that the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity are integrated into national sectoral and cross-sectoral programmes and policies. During the 114th Assembly in 2006, another resolution was passed on the role of parliaments in environmental management and in combating global degradation of the environment.
A Presidential Declaration on Climate Change was endorsed during the 116th Assembly in 2007, expressing concerns over the adverse impact of climate change and calling for progress in awareness raising among parliaments related in particular to avoidance of deforestation, financial mechanisms, and the transfer of appropriate and environmentally sound technology. Climate change was also proposed as an emergency item during this year’s 118th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary union.
In 2006, the Executive Secretary of the CBD called upon all parliamentarians to join the global effort to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010
Speech 28 March 2006 