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South Africa: All Systems Go for Global Biodiversity Meeting

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Original Post Date: 2010-09-15 Time: 07:00:02  Posted By: News Poster

By Nthambeleni Gabara

Pretoria – Preparations are in full swing for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), with Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Rejoice Mabudafhasi jetting off to Gabon on Wednesday to consolidate the African position.

African countries had decided to adopt a common position and to speak in one voice during the CBD scheduled for October in Japan.

“It is important that we gain a political momentum in order to get common position in most of the issues to be discussed at the Convention. We want to present an African position to the delegates,” said Fundisile Mketeni, Biodiversity and Conservation Deputy-Director General at department.

He said key areas to South Africa at the global gathering will include the post 2010 Biodiversity Strategy targets and the means of implementation, the international regime on Access and Benefits sharing, protocols on Biosafety, liability and redress as well as biodiversity science policy platform.

The CBD is anchored on three key objectives, conservation, sustainable use of biological diversity and air and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of resources. South Africa subscribes to the three key objectives and is also a signatory to the Convention.

Mketeni said the sustainable utilisation of natural resource is at the forefront of South Africa’s approach to development as articulated in the National Strategy for Sustainable Development and other legislative and strategic frameworks.

In terms of the Draft Strategic Plan 2011-2020, Mketeni said South Africa believed that the strategy was comprehensive and ambitious enough to address the 2010 targets which were not met. However, Mketeni said the lack of commitment to adequate, timely and increased funding and resources will pose a major constraint on the implementation of the post 2010 strategy.

He further said South Africa would support recommendations that articulate the role of biodiversity in climate change mitigation and adaptation. “We will also take care not to confound the biodiversity deliberations with the greater global negotiations on climate change,” he said.

Mketeni said they will also strive to ensure that the biodiversity response to the climate change crisis is effective and that all political and financial implications are taken into account before the final decisions are taken while the global community moves into further action.

“In view of government’s commitment to a new growth path in the form of a green economy, South Africa will advance positions that support a move towards implementation of economic instruments, including where appropriate market-based mechanisms for biodiversity conservation,” he said.

Other issues to be discussed at the Convention, which takes place from 18 – 29 October, will include inland waters, biodiversity, marine and coastal biodiversity, mountain biodiversity, protected areas, forest biodiversity, sustainable use of biodiversity and biodiversity and climate change.

Original date published: 14 September 2010

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201009150011.html?viewall=1