The biodiversity liaison group was established in response to a request from the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in order to increase the collaboration and synergies among biodiversity-related Conventions. The Convention on Migratory Species was asked to join with CBD, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar) and the World Heritage Convention (WHC) and regularly meet to discuss priorities and options for collaboration.

Given the opportunity offered by the presence of executive and senior officers from the aforementioned Conventions and by the co-location in the UN premises in Bonn of a number of other Multilateral Agreements like the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as well as the CMS related agreements (AEWA, ASCOBANS and EUROBATS), the CMS Secretariat in collaboration with the regional information Centre for Western Europe organized a “coffee with journalists”. The breakfast talk offered chief officials of environmental conventions the opportunity to brief the press about upcoming events and discuss the role of environmental issues within the broader UN agenda, particularly in light of the outcome of the recent World Summit in New York, which assessed the level of commitment and implementation of the millennium development goals on the global scale.

The fourth meeting of the Biodiversity Liaison Group discussed options for the establishment of a flexible framework between all relevant biodiversity actors, and in particular the establishment of a “global partnership on biodiversity”, which is meant to foster commitment and actions among all relevant sectors towards the achievement of the so called “2010 target”, a target developed under the CBD and endorsed by the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2001 aiming at the significant reduction of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national scale by that date.

The group also took stock of the collaborative work undertaken so far by the five Conventions, including the development of a joint portal and indicated other possible ways to facilitate cooperation, both at the scientific and policy levels. The group also reviewed the calendars of important appointments in the environmental agenda and agreed on representation by one of the Conventions on behalf of the group to the most relevant meetings. Statements will be jointly prepared and delivered to a number of upcoming conferences.

The CMS Secretariat appreciates the kindness of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) in hosting the excellent dinner that followed the meeting. Mr. Jochen Flasbarth, Head of the Directorate General for Nature Conservation and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources (pictured left) further contributed to inter-agency cooperation by inviting executive and senior MEAs officials as well as UNEP staff currently present in Bonn to gather at the same table. In his welcome speech, Mr. Flasbarth stressed the importance of cooperation and coordination among relevant agencies and Conventions and reiterated the support of the German Government to the UN agencies based in Bonn. In reply, Robert Hepworth, Executive Secretary of CMS, thanked the German Government for their unflinching support for the United Nations bodies in the city, and for the personal support, which he had been given especially by the BMU since his arrival at CMS in 2004.

Further Information:

Welcome Speech by Mr. Jochen Fasbarth, Head of the Directorate General for Nature Conservation and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources