UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews
Network
/ 21
October 2009 - A
global awareness campaign and celebration to safeguard the variety of life on
Earth and stop the unprecedented loss of biodiversity was launched earlier
this month in Montreal, Canada, with the logo and messages for the 2010
United Nations International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) unveiled
at Montreal City Hall in a ceremony co-organized by the Ville de Montreal and
the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological
Diversity.
Faced
with continued biodiversity loss –estimated to be as high as 1000 times the
natural rate as a result of human activities, and expected to rise further as
a result of the impacts of climate change – the United Nations General
Assembly declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity.
The
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, located in Montreal,
was designated as the focal point for the celebrations.
The
slogan and logo for the year, made possible thanks to the financial support of
the Government of Canada, were unveiled at the ceremony, attended by
representatives of three levels of government and the diplomatic corps.
The
slogan Biodiversity is life. Biodiversity is our life,
highlights the crucial role that biodiversity plays in supporting all life on
Earth, including our own.
The
logo for the International Year of Biodiversity comprises a host of symbolic
iconographic elements depicting the all-encompassing scope of
biodiversity.
By
intertwining representations of flora and fauna with human figures, the logo
demonstrates how biodiversity is life and how we as humans are forever part
of, and not separate, from the biodiversity that surrounds us.
"Canada
is proud to host the Secretariat to the United Nations Convention on
Biological Diversity and was pleased to be able to contribute to the creation
of the logo for International Year of Biodiversity." declared Jim
Prentice, the Minister of Environment of Canada.
"Protecting
biodiversity is a global concern requiring local action so it is fitting that
the ville de Montreal is hosting this event. The creation and launch of this
very striking logo will help to raise global awareness of the important
responsibility that we all share." He said.
Ahmed
Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity said,
"We encourage all people and organizations to use the logo to highlight
and promote their activities during 2010. The generosity of the government of
Canada has made this tremendous tool for awareness-raising available to all
partners."
The
launch was hosted by Mayor Gerald Tremblay of Montreal, with the participation
of the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, Quebec,
Madame Line Beauchamp, and the diplomatic corps accredited in Montreal as well
as other Canadian partners of the Secretariat, including Jean Langlais,
Director of the Biosphere, representing Environment Canada.
"In
Québec as elsewhere, the year 2010 will be the occasion for greater
engagement with the public on the importance of biodiversity and the different
ecosystem services that contribute to human well-being," declared
the minister of Sustainable development, Environment and Parks, Madame Line
Beauchamp.
"The
government of Québec reiterates its commitment and the pursuit of its actions
in favour of the protection and sustainable management of biodiversity during
this year that has been proclaimed by the United Nations as the international
year of biodiversity.
"The
role played by Montréal in the field of biodiversity is vital. The
introduction of eco-territories offers solid examples of sustainable
development projects, which are in harmony with the preservation of the
natural environment, public interests and the city’s economic
development," said Montréal Mayor Gérald Tremblay.
The
year 2010 will be marked by international mobilization regarding this major
worldwide challenge, which will strengthen our determination to move ahead
even further," said Montréal Mayor Gérald Tremblay.
"It
is good to see the Ville de Montreal carrying out concrete initiatives for the
International Year of Biodiversity, such as the Centre for Biodiversity and
the creation of the park for the 3rd summit of Mount Royal," said Ahmed
Djoghlaf.
"The Convention enjoys a unique and special relationship with
our host city and we have had the privilege to see Mayor Gérald Tremblay take
an active role in promoting the three objectives of the Convention, and I
would like to thank him for his continued support." he said.
During
the International Year of Biodiversity, actors from around the world will work
together to raise awareness on biodiversity and form a global alliance for the
promotion of life on Earth.
The
year will be inaugurated with events in Brazil and Germany. At the Paris
headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), an international exhibition will be launched at a
high-level event in January.
As a
key element of this, heads of State will meet on 20 September 2010 at the UN
General Assembly to take action and prepare for the Nagoya Biodiversity Summit
in October 2010, where governments will set the targets and steps needed to
address biodiversity loss.
The
year will end in Kanazawa Japan in December 2010 with a ceremony marking the
beginning of the International Year of Forests – 2011.
In
Canada, the year will be marked by events organized by an alliance of artists,
governments and individuals. Plans for these were outlined at a meeting of
Canadian authorities in mid-August.
In
January 2010 the performance Paradis Perdu, produced by Dominic Champagne and
Jean Lemire, will mark the opening of the year. The governments of Quebec and
Canada have set in motion entire programmes of events for the year that raise
public awareness and link with events such as the 2010 Winter Olympics in
Vancouver.
Discussions
at the G8 meeting in Huntsville, Ontario in 2010, where Canada will preside,
will also address the biodiversity crisis.
In
addition, the city of Montreal plans a number of initiatives, including a new
biodiversity research centre at the botanical garden in partnership with the
University of Montreal, and the creation of 23 hectares of a new park on the
third summit of Mount Royal.
The
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Opened
for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the Convention on
Biological Diversity is an international treaty for the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits from
utilization of genetic resources.
With
191 Parties, the CBD has near-universal participation among countries
committed to preserving life on Earth.
The
CBD seeks to address all threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services,
including threats from climate change, through scientific assessments, the
development of tools, incentives and processes, the transfer of technologies
and good practices and the full and active involvement of relevant
stakeholders including indigenous and local communities, youth, NGOs, women
and the business community. The headquarters of the Secretariat of the
Convention are located in Montreal.
For
additional information, please contact Marie Aminata Khan on +1 514 287 8701
or at marie.khan@cbd.int or Johan Hedlund on + 1 514 287-6670 or at johan.hedlund@cbd.int.
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