§ Ms Rosie WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the outcome of the conference of the Parties to the Biodiversity Convention Meeting in Bratislava. [46420]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Fourth Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Bratislava from 4 to 15 May. The United Kingdom led active participation by the European Union, which helped ensure that many of our objectives for this meeting, as agreed at the March Environment Council, were achieved.
A range of further work was agreed on measures to safeguard biodiversity in inland water, forest, agriculture, and coastal and marine ecosystems. Arrangements were agreed for the conclusion of the negotiation of a Biosafety Protocol to the Convention by early next year, and to hold an inter-sessional working group to consider further the implementation of the Convention's provisions on traditional knowledge. The meeting commissioned further work to analyse the first round of national reports from Parties, and the preparation of guidance on the nature and timing of the next round. Attention will also be given inter-sessionally to access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing.
The UK laid particular emphasis on the need to improve the operations of the Convention and the Conference of the Parties, and while some progress was made on this in Bratislava, further consideration will take place at an inter-sessional meeting next year. The UK will continue to press for improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the Convention's operations, in order to maximise delivery of the Convention's objectives.