UN General Assembly discusses the biodiversity crisis

• © UNESCO/P. Chiang-Joo

On Wednesday 22 September, the General Assembly of the United Nations at its 65th session held two plenary meetings on the occasion of the high-level meeting as a contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity.

The meetings saw the participation and contribution of high-level personalities from the international community - governments, intergovernmental organizations, civil society and the private sector.

Clearly, UNESCO's mandate and competencies can greatly help address the ultimate drivers of biodiversity erosion and loss: lack of appropriate education and awareness, lack of appropriate communication measures, appropriate S&T policies and infrastructure, the cultural drivers of biodiversity loss, and issues related to social transformations and governance.

The meetings at the United Nations General Assembly in New York provided an unprecedented opportunity to further raise political attention to the contribution of biodiversity to development. The meetings also identified possible directions forward in achieving the conservation and sustainable and equitable use of biodiversity, including the establishment of an independent intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBES) and the development of an agreed regime for accessing biodiversity and for equitably sharing its benefits.

• Source:UNESCO SC
• 23-09-2010