§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the first conference of the parties meeting for the convention for biological diversity.
§ Mr. Atkins[holding answer 16 December 1994]: The first meeting of the conference of the parties to the convention on biological diversity took place in Nassau, the Bahamas from 28 November to 9 December 1994. A good start was made towards implementing the convention and setting up the administrative machinery to operate it. The United Nations environment programme was designated as the organisation to host the convention secretariat. The work of the scientific advisory body was set in train, with its first meeting due to take place in Paris from 4 to 8 September 1995. A working group was established to enable the next COP to consider the need for a biosafety protocol. A three-year work programme was agreed for the COP which reflects the three objectives of the convention, namely conservation of biodiversity, its sustainable use, and sharing of the benefits derived from 977W it. On finance, appropriate policy guidance was issued to the global environment facility, which was confirmed as the interim financial mechanism to fund the incremental costs of projects in developing countries designed to deliver the objectives of the convention. The rules on voting on financial provisions were left to be resolved at a future meeting.
The provisional dates for the next meeting of the conference of the parties are 6 to 17 November 1995. It will consider, inter alia, voting on financial provisions, the location of the convention secretariat and the designation of the permanent financial mechanism and will make decisions on the substantive work of the convention, including the consideration of biodiversity under threat.
§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps the United Kingdom Government took at the first meeting of the conference of the parties for the convention on biological diversity to ensure that the convention is used as a means of conserving forests.
§ Mr. Atkins[holding answer 16 December 1994]: The conservation of forests was not a substantive item on the agenda of the first meeting of the conference of the parties to the convention on biological diversity held in Nassau, the Bahamas from 28 November to 9 December 1994. However, a statement to be conveyed to the Commission on Sustainable Development on behalf of the COP emphasises the importance of conservation, management and sustainable use of forests for achieving the objectives of the convention and makes clear that the COP stands ready to develop measures to achieve the convention's objectives with respect to forests. The convention will undertake a programme of work on terrestrial biological diversity. This will take account of the consideration of forests and biodiversity by the third session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development next year.