International news

The Toyama communiqué issued by G7 environment ministers has been welcomed by Braulio Dias, Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), for its strong support to both the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets as well as the theme of the upcoming thirteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 13) to the CBD, in Cancun, Mexico from 4 to 17 December 2016.

The four reports, one each for Africa, Asia and the Pacific, West Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean offer a regional perspective of the Convention's 2014 publication Global Biodiversity Outlook-4 (GB0-4). Using a similar approach and method of analysis to that of GBO-4, each of the regional State of Biodiversity reports contains a summary of progress towards a set of 20 global environment-related goals known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, followed by a detailed target by target analysis and a summary of opportunities and recommendations for policy and decision makers.

Montreal, 25 May 2016 - With Congo's accession on 16 May 2016, the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety needs only six more ratifications to enter into force.

This is a historic day in the life of our Convention on Biological Diversity for two reasons. First, we open the first meeting of this body, the Subsidiary Body on Implementation. Second, the Secretariat celebrates 20 years in this beautiful and diverse city of Montreal.

The first meeting of the new Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-1) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will open today, focusing on increasing efforts related to strengthening the review process and enhance on-the-ground implementation at global, national, sub-national and local levels.

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the twentieth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and to welcome you all back to Montreal.

It is my pleasure to welcome you all to this Technical Workshop on Monitoring of Marine and Coastal Biodiversity, being held on the margins of the twentieth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.

Germany is the latest country to ratify the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization, bringing the total number of ratifications to 74. This includes 73 countries and the European Union (EU), which ratified the Protocol in May 2014.

This year, International Mother Earth Day coincides with the signing ceremony for the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at UN Headquarters in New York, where world governments will demonstrate their commitment to meet the challenges of climate change.

One of the main bodies under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) is set to meet next week to discuss issues that will accelerate progress in implementing the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and achieving its Aichi Biodiversity Targets.