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UNCTAD and IFC
hold critical meeting with private sector on biodiversity
The private
sector has long been identified as an important partner of
international organisations in their achievement of development
goals.
This is
no different for the biodiversity-related Multi-lateral
Environmental Agreements (MEAs), that have specific biodiversity
goals that require the participation of the private sector in
order to see them come to fruition.
For example, the Convention of Biological
Diversity (CBD)
has singled out the private sector as an important player in the
conservation, sustainable use of biodiversity, as well as the
equitable sharing of benefits that are derived from this
resource (see decision VIII/17).
For this reason, UNCTAD, in cooperation with the International
Finance Cooperation (IFC),
held a meeting to bring together the Secretariats of MEAs like
CITES,
CBD,
UNCCD/Global
Mechanism
and
Ramsar and members of the private sector involved in
natural ingredients in the foods and cosmetics sector on 11 May
2007. Discussions and presentations addressed ways in which
these conventions can better engage business in this particular
sector and, reciprocally, how the private sector could
contribute more to the implementation of these Agreements.
 Participants
identified several areas in which they share mutual interests in
working together to develop profitable markets in sustainably-sourced
products that benefit from the type of forum provided by this
meeting. It became apparent that there is strong interest among
the parties and secretariats of the MEAs to expand their
engagement with the private sector.
Participants
identified the following ways that the constituencies they
represent can work together to promote sustainable trade:
·
Working through national governments,
including their focal points for MEA implementation and expanded
business opportunities in biodiversity-related trade.
·
Working with secretariats and the COPs
of MEAs, including through participation in the development of
national policies, national delegations to COPs, and in
partnerships organised through the secretariats.
·
The Union for Ethical Bio Trade (UEBT),
which was launched on 8 May, may provide a useful vehicle for
stakeholders to work together to further develop the ideas
discussed at this meeting.
·
Several speakers also discussed the
opportunity afforded by participation in public events related
to the next COP of the Convention on Biological Diversity, to be
held in Bonn, Germany in May 2008.
The meeting is
part of a larger strategy to bring together the Secretariats of
these MEAs and broach issues such as incentive measures and
international trade, in addition to private sector engagement.
Decisions taken by the CBD eighth Conference of the Parties last
in Curitiba, Brazil specifically addressed these issues (see
VIII/17, 23, 26).
To download the presentations given at
this event, please click
here.
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