Hyderabad (India) Oct. 13, GNA-  Representatives from more than 170 countries including Ghana are meeting in Hyderabad, India, to deliberate on the way forward to protect the planet’s biodiversity.

The 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), known as COP 11, follows the historic outcome of the 2010 Nagoya biodiversity summit.

In Nagoya, governments adopted a new Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, and two new supplementary protocols to the CBD, setting the course for halting biodiversity loss by the end of the current decade.

The meeting commenced early October, 2012 with various side events and group meeting would end on 21st of October, 2012.

As part of the meeting there will be a High Level Ministerial Meeting (HLMM) from 16th to 18th where various Ministerial Delegation including Ms Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment Science and Technology would be expected to give brief statements.

Again the HLMM would also have a panel discussion where delegates from Ghana would be expected to moderate a section to deliberate on issues including Biodiversity for Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction.

Ms Jayanthi Natarajan, Minister of Environment and Forests, Government of India and COP 11 President, said the present global economic crisis should encourage leaders to invest more towards amelioration of the natural capital for ensuring uninterrupted ecosystem services, on which all life on Earth depends.

“Let us all be inspired by what Mahatma Gandhi said: ‘The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems’. So let us commit ourselves to what we are capable of doing.”

Mr Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity urge leaders to adopt new approaches and mechanisms, emphasising the leveraging of resources from existing sources through mainstreaming, incorporating sustainability criteria in government procurement, reviewing and adjusting of economic instruments, and further engaging the business sector.

“We will be judged by our acts, not our words,” he said.

Ms Amina Mohamed, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UNEP said: “The collective experience and the new analysis through initiatives had illuminated that the costs of inaction are far higher and will rise and that the losses the world especially the poor—are sustaining annually as a result of unsustainable management of the natural world dwarf the investments.”

She said the private sector had a responsibility and a role to play too within the rules and regulations put in place by governments to ensure equity for all sectors of society.

The Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources.

With 193 Parties, the Convention has near universal participation among countries.

The Convention 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.

From Albert Oppong - Ansah, GNA Special Correspondent, Hyderabad, India (Courtesy, CDB, Global Environmental facility, Internews)