Activists unfurled a banner from the famous Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro to call on governments to protect global biodiversity. Representatives from 188 countries are taking part of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) in Curitiba, Brazil, to discuss the protection of biodiversity.
In the 14 years since it began at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992,
theachievements of the CBD have been few. Every word, every comma,
everyfull stop has to be negotiated, debated and then renegotiated
by over180 countries.
In2002 at the World Summit on Sustainability Development in
South Africa,the world promised to significantly reduce the rate of
biodiversityloss by 2010 on land and 2012 in the ocean. Yet here we
are in 2006,just 4 years away from that deadline, and they haven't
even started the'Programme of Work', the main vehicle for the
creation of a globalnetwork of protected areas Unfortunately, the
world's plants andanimals are running out of time.
If reducing the rate ofbiodiversity loss was their promise in
2002, then 2006 is a wake upcall with life on the planet continuing
to be consigned to the historybooks. Extinctions are now running at
1,000 times normal levels andwill increase up to 10,000 times
normal levels by 2050 if urgent actionis not taken.
Whilst the delegates at the CBD slowly negotiate, we are working
to stop biodiversity loss right now. Our ship the 'Esperanza'is
in the Atlantic working to expose the pirate fishing fleets
thatoperate without sanction across the world's oceans. Teams of
activistsare also working in the heart of the Amazon to stop the
rainforestbeing destroyed to grow agricultural products, such as
soya.
Onthe other side of the planet, volunteers from around the world
areprotecting the rainforests of Papua New Guinea. Working from the
Global
Forest Rescue Station, they are helping traditional landowners
and eco-forestry experts establish the rights of traditional
landowners.
The CBD needs to speed up its work to protect life on earth. The delegates need to agree without delay to:
● Create a global network of protected areas on
land and in the ocean.
● Properlyfund the protection of life on earth and
if additional resources can befound, help other countries in the
protection of life on earth.
● Stopbottom trawling on the high seas and vote in
favour of a moratorium onhigh seas bottom trawling in the United
Nations General Assembly.
● Stop illegal logging and the trade in illegal
timber products.
● Share the wealth created from biological products
with communities from which they came.
● Ensure companies are held to the highest
international standard of practice and not privatise natural
resources
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