HC Deb 26 October 2000 vol 355 cc174-6W
Laura Moffatt

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress was made at the last meeting of the conference of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. [135685]

Mr. Meacher

The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity met for the fifth time in Nairobi in May. Parliamentary business prevented my attendance, but the United Kingdom fielded a strong delegation who played a key part, including by helping to agree a challenging programme of action on a range of issues. This is vital if we are to succeed in our aim of safeguarding the world's biodiversity, and the Government will play its full part, together with a wide range of other stakeholders and our partners in other countries, in putting these necessarily ambitious plans into practice.

Sixty-eight Parties to the Convention, including the UK, signed the Biosafety Protocol and a work plan was agreed for the first session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protocol, which meets in Montpellier in December. UK chaired negotiations on the operations of the Convention led to agreement on a comprehensive package of reform to improve its effectiveness, including preparation of a strategic plan for adoption at the next COP, to be held in April 2002 in the Netherlands. An administrative budget of $18.64 million was agreed for 2001–02: the UK's contribution for the biennium will be $0.911 million, an increase of 15.3 per cent. on 1999–2000, reflecting increased activity under the Convention.

A four year cycle was adopted for Parties' national reports, to include an across the board assessment of implementation using a standard format which should facilitate global stocktaking. Optional biannual reports on priority issues were also invited: for COP6 these will cover forest biodiversity, alien species and benefit-sharing.

Four ad hoc technical groups were set up, on marine and coastal biodiversity (2), drylands and forests. On inland water biodiversity, co-operation with the Ramsar Convention was encouraged. The COP decided to integrate fully the issue of coral bleaching into the marine and coastal biodiversity work programme which, along with the programme of work on forest biodiversity, envisages co-operation with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Work programmes on dryland and agricultural biodiversity were also adopted, as was one on the role of indigenous and local knowledge, with due emphasis on the participation of the holders of such knowledge.

An expert panel will be re-convened on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing, and its findings will be considered by an open ended working group. This will draft guidelines for legislation and contracts for the exchange of genetic material and the means to protect traditional knowledge. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) were invited to explore further the relationship between the Agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) and the Convention.

The 'ecosystem approach', which is intended to underpin the Convention's work, was elaborated and enshrined in 12 guiding principles for use by Parties. Further work was initiated to improve indicators of biodiversity and programmes for monitoring and assessment, with an increased emphasis on work at the national and regional levels. An international co-ordination mechanism for the Global Taxonomy Initiative was established, along with supporting pilot projects. COP also called for further work on the case for the April 2000 Gran Canaria Declaration, which urged development of a global strategy to conserve plant biodiversity.

The COP agreed further development of the clearing house mechanism, designed to share information on activity under the Convention, in particular by building the capacity of developing countries to participate. A global initiative on education and public awareness was endorsed, and action encouraged at national level. Discussions on environmental impact assessment promoted the sharing of good practice; further work was foreseen on liability and redress; and a programme of work was established on incentive measures.

Among the recommendations endorsed by the COP on the sustainable use of biodiversity were the identification of indicators and incentive measures for use by relevant sectors. The tourism industry was encouraged to work with all stakeholders to develop sustainable tourism, and countries were urged to apply interim principles for the control of alien species. Satisfactory decisions on financial resources and mechanisms reflect the improving relationship between the Parties and the Global Environment Facility.

Full decisions from the meeting are available on the Convention's website at www.biodiv.org.