International news

Biological diversity underpins ecosystem functioning and the provisioning of ecosystem services essential for human well-being.

Following the ratification by Senegal, the total number of ratifications to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization now stands at 73. In addition, South Africa issued the second internationally recognized certificate of compliance on 23 March 2016, following a permit made available to the Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS) Clearing-House.

I am pleased to welcome you all to the eleventh meeting of the Liaison Group on Capacity-building for Biosafety here in Montreal. I wish to thank you all for taking time from your busy schedules to attend this meeting, which is expected to play a crucial role in contributing to the third assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the mid-term evaluation of the Strategic Plan of the Protocol covering the period 2011-2020.

Fundamental to human well-being, water resources can help create paid and decent jobs. But water is a finite and irreplaceable resource. It is only renewable if well managed. All freshwater ultimately depends on the continued healthy functioning of ecosystems, and recognizing the water cycle as a biophysical process is essential to achieving sustainable water management.

It gives me immense pleasure to extend a warm welcome to you all to this Capacity-building Workshop for Africa on achieving Aichi Biodiversity Targets 11 and 12. This workshop is the fourth in a series being organized by the CBD Secretariat in collaboration with partners.

Forests are crucial to the sustainable management of water ecosystems and resources, and water is essential for the sustainability of forest ecosystems. Let us work together and redouble our efforts to ensure that our forests remain healthy now and for generations to come.

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to the city of Montreal, where the Great Lakes Waterway and the Saint Lawrence Seaway meet, on the occasion of the 6th GEF-UNDP-IMO Research and Development Forum and Exhibition on Ballast Water Management.

The Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Mr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, applauds the Arctic Partnership announced Thursday by United States President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Washington, D.C.

The theme for this year's International Women's Day, "Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step it up for Gender Equality", is well-aligned with the ambitious Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, which integrates gender equality and women's empowerment as a cross-cutting theme across the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets, making it clear that equality and empowerment are a necessary part of a sustainable future.

Integral to the balance of nature, wildlife nurtures us with a sense of wonder and serves as a source of inspiration.