Environment for Europe: Building bridges without sustainable foundations
11 October 2007, Belgrade, Serbia. Pan-European Governments have largely failed to take their promise to halt biodiversity loss seriously, reveals the Countdown 2010 Readiness Assessment.
From 10-12 October, more than 2000 delegates gather in Belgrade for the 6th Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe”. Previous conferences had featured the challenge of conserving biodiversity highly, resulting in a common strategy for the Pan-European region (PEBLDS) in 1995 and the so-called Kiev Resolution in 2004, including the commitment to halt biodiversity loss by 2010. The resolution specifies seven target areas that need to be met in order to effectively halt biodiversity loss by 2010.
The Countdown 2010 Readiness Assessment notes that with the exception of some areas, the majority of the Kiev commitments are poorly implemented. Nevertheless, close to 50% of the government and civil society representatives believe the target can be reached to a great extent. However, reaching the 2010 biodiversity target will require a major policy shift, in particular regarding sectoral integration and the provision of financial resources. Based on interviews with biodiversity focal points, online surveys and a robust desk study, the assessment was endorsed by the UN Environment Programme and the European Environmental Agency.
“Considering the huge challenges we face, I cannot understand why biodiversity was hardly visible on the official agenda here in Belgrade”, comments Sebastian Winkler, Head of Countdown 2010. Instead, some governments and civil society organizations pulled together a Biodiversity Stakeholders’ Roundtable as a platform for exchange among ministers, NGOs and others on the progress made on the 2010 biodiversity target. The Roundtable consistently referred to the Countdown 2010 Readiness Assessment.
In addition, CEEWEB, ECNC, ECOForum and IUCN organized a Countdown 2010 Biodiversity Lounge to stage side events and provide a biodiversity meeting ground for the 2000 delegates. “Biodiversity is the foundation of sustainable development. Without it, all bridges we build to the future are in danger of collapsing”, comments Mr Winkler on the conference motto “Building Bridges to the Future”.
