may: urging action on biodiversity in bonn
The continuing failure to prevent catastrophic deforestation is hampering global efforts to reverse the loss of biodiversity and has become a major threat to forest-dependent people, warned Friends of the Earth International on ‘International Biodiversity Day, 22 May.
The warning was made during a May 19-30 United Nations meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Bonn gathering, attended by delegates from 191 countries, aimed to find ways to meet a globally agreed target for reversing the loss of biodiversity.
The conference was deemed a failure by FoEI and others in taking any meaningful steps towards stopping the dangerous loss of biological diversity. The parties concluded two weeks of negotiations with a conspicuous failure to heed the warnings of small farmers, indigenous peoples and countless civil society groups. Inaction on curbing menacing agrofuel production and stopping deforestation was matched by the worrying decision to authorise the planting of Genetically Modified (GM) trees.
“We are very disappointed that the parties chose to ignore the legitimate concerns of civil society. Their unwillingness to take urgent steps on agrofuels and deforestation is likely to have major environmental and social impacts as food prices continue to spiral and local communities´ livelihoods suffer from further biodiversity loss,“ said Belmond Tchoumba, co-coordinator of the Forest and Biodiversity Programme of Friends of the Earth International.
“If GM trees contaminate wild tree populations the results could be devastating. GM trees pose unique risks and countries should instead be encouraged to invest in sustainable solutions that protect forests and the communities that depend on them," said Isaac Rojas, co-coordinator of the Forest and Biodiversity Programme of Friends of the Earth International.
FoEI Chair Meena Raman took part in the High-Level segment of the meeting, representing NGOs. You can view her speech here.
