Montreal – 13 November 2006: The 24 experts who participated in the Brainstorming Meeting on South-South Cooperation (SSC) on Biodiversity in Montreal from 6-8 November 2006 laid the groundwork for a plan of action to enhance the capacity of developing countries.
The plan of action will include:
• The implementation of the three objectives of the Convention (conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources) and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety;
• The achievement of the 2010 biodiversity target to significantly reduce the current rate of biodiversity loss, requiring provisions for additional financial and technical resources to developing countries;
• The achievement of goals 1 and 7 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The participants, agreeing on possible programme areas and mechanisms, suggested a framework for the development of a plan of action.
“In the annals of multilateral environmental agreements, this brainstorming meeting is of great significance as it lays a foundation for South-South solidarity for safeguarding life on the planet and the well-being of its 6 billion people” said Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity in collaboration with the Office of the Group of 77, convened the meeting with the following objectives:
(a) To discuss the elements of a plan of action for South-South cooperation that would enhance implementation of the three objectives of the Convention and the Millennium Development Goals, in particular goals 1 and 7;
(b) To offer a platform for informal discussion on collaboration and exchange of experiences on forest biodiversity between the Central African Forest Committee, the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization and the Association of South-East Asian Nations;
(c) To make recommendations on the process, from development through to adoption, of a multi-year programme of work on South-South cooperation on biodiversity.
Mr. Djoghlaf opened the brainstorming meeting on Monday, 6 November, and welcomed the distinguished guests, in particular H.E. Mr. Henri Djombo, President of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and Minister of Forest Economy and Environment of the Republic of the Congo, and H.E. Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo, Chairman of the Group of 77. He highlighted the promotion of South-South cooperation as a key initiative of the G-77, noted that this is a groundbreaking initiative in terms of a multilateral environmental agreement working with the G-77, and congratulated Minister Djombo for suggesting modalities for the implementation of the South-South initiative among the three most important forest basins—the Congo, the Amazon and the Heart of Borneo.
Ambassador Kumalo stated that the G-77 believes that this meeting can be an impetus to strengthen discussions on South-South cooperation on biodiversity conservation, thereby helping developing countries to implement the three objectives of the Convention and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Minister Djombo noted that “this meeting is the initial step towards harmonizing the sustainable development of water, plants and wildlife among the three great forest basins”. During the three-day meeting, participants presented South-South experiences, activities, partnerships and initiatives in their respective countries and organizations to identify opportunities and challenges relevant to South-South cooperation on biodiversity issues.
The plan of action on South-South cooperation will be submitted for consideration and adoption by the ninth meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to take place in Bonn, Germany in 2008.
The final report will be available by Wednesday, 15 November 2006, at the following address: http://www.biodiv.org/doc/meetings/ssc/ssc-01/official/ssc-01-03-en.pdf
Information for Journalists:
South-South Cooperation (SSC)
South-South cooperation is a broad framework for collaboration among countries of the South in the political, economic, social, environmental and technical domains. Involving three or more developing countries, South-South cooperation takes place on bilateral, regional, sub-regional and inter-regional bases. Recent developments in South-South cooperation have taken the form of increased volumes of South-South trade, movements toward regional integration, South-South flows of foreign direct investment and various forms of development assistance.
The Group of 77 (G-77)
The Group of 77 was established on 15 June 1964 by 77 developing countries that were signatories to the “Joint Declaration of the Seventy-Seven Countries”, issued at the end of the first session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva. As the largest coalition of developing countries in the United Nations, the Group of 77 provides the means for the developing world to articulate and promote its collective economic interests and enhance its joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues in the United Nations system, and promote economic and technical cooperation among developing countries. Although the membership of the G-77 has increased to over 132 countries, the original name was retained because of its historic significance
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
The Convention on Biological Diversity is one of the most broadly subscribed international environmental treaties in the world. Opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, it currently has 189 Parties—188 States and the European Community—who have committed themselves to its three main objectives: the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components and the equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. The Secretariat of the Convention is located in Montreal.
For more information, please contact Marie Aminata Khan at +1 514 287 8701;
