Dear Countdown 2010 partners, dear readers,
31 March 2010. It is with great pleasure that I am writing my first editorial for the Countdown 2010 update especially during the International Year of Biodiversity – a unique opportunity to bring the biodiversity crisis to the attention of world leaders and also the general public.
The Countdown 2010 Secretariat was delighted to welcome its 1000th partner in February – Eurogypsum, the European federation of national associations of gypsum products manufacturers. Having gathered more than 1,000 partners in just over five years is an outstanding achievement! IUCN takes pride in having the opportunity to collaborate with such a large and varied network of actors in Europe and beyond.
During this important International Year, the month of March was marked by the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The decisions taken at the CoP may have significant impacts on biodiversity conservation. Four articles in the Features of this newsletter explain what CITES is, its impacts and the outcomes of the CoP.
In October, another CoP will focus attention to the biodiversity crisis. The 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity is expected to adopt a new target for biodiversity. IUCN has recently released its position for the negotiations on a new target. With the continuing alarming figures revealed by the European Red List, the need for an ambitious agreement is even more evident.
In this issue you will also learn about the new biodiversity campaign launched by the Directorate-General for the Environment of the European Commission and another environmental campaign addressed to children implemented by one of our Countdown 2010 partners.
Hans Friederich
Regional Director (a.i.) for Pan-Europe
