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ICLEI and LAB at the CBD COP10
18 - 29 October 2010
The adoption by the Parties of the Plan of Action for Sub-national Governments, Cities and other Local Authorities and Biodiversity (2011 – 2020) at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP10) in Nagoya, Japan last month, marked perhaps the most important milestone so far for local government biodiversity advocacy at the highest level.
ICLEI’s global biodiversity programme Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB), operated in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), played a central role in facilitating a platform for local governments at this important event.
Major events, arranged by ICLEI and LAB such as the City Biodiversity Summit, a parallel event to the CBD COP, which brought together 500 delegates including mayors and leaders of international organizations, mobilized a groundswell of interest in the Plan of Action for Cities (as it is abbreviated).
At a press conference held at the CBD COP10 venue after the City Summit, the Mayors of Montréal (Canada), Durban (South Africa), Curitiba (Brazil), the Minister for the Environment of the Brussels Capital Region (European Union) and ICLEI President David Cadman, urged Parties to adopt the Plan of Action on Cities. Download the full Declaration on Local Authorities and Biodiversity.
To further raise the profile of local authorities amongst Parties and COP delegates, LAB organized various side events at the CBD COP venue, as well as co-organising a Local Government side event with the CBD.
The ICLEI/IUCN LAB side events which took place at the Rio Pavilion, Communications, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) Fair and an official side event, facilitated networking, profiling and advocacy opportunities for local governments members of ICLEI and LAB.
A video recording of the ICLEI/ IUCN Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) official side event held at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD COP10) is available for download on the CBD website. To view the video, click here.
The second meeting of the LAB Advisory Committee was also held in Nagoya. The committee comprises of partners and leading LAB cities.
The LAB team also secured strategic partnerships with The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the URBIS Initiative. These partnerships will raise the profile of local authorities participating in the LAB Programme, and make available useful and progressive tools and information to ICLEI/IUCN LAB participants.
See news and outcomes on the CBD COP10 website and the LAB website.
City Biodiversity Summit in Nagoya, Japan
24 - 26 October 2010
The City Biodiversity Summit, a parallel event to the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention of Biodiversity (CBD COP10), was attended by more than 500 delegates from 230 local authorities and international organizations around the world.
The event was organized by the Aichi/Nagoya Promotional Committee in partnership with ICLEI and the SCBD, to mobilize support for the Parties to adopt the Plan of Action for Sub-nations, Cities and other Local Authorities and Biodiversity (2011 – 2020).
Delegates included the Mayor of Montréal, Gérald Tremblay, the Mayor of Durban, Obed Mlaba and the Mayor of Curitiba, Luciano Ducci, as well as international experts and leaders of international organisations including IUCN, UN-HABITAT and UNESCO.
The nations of Brazil, Canada, Mexico, South Africa and Singapore supported the pivotal role cities play in the implementation of the objectives of the CBD during the opening plenary of the City Summit.
The event followed a two day programme featuring international experts on biodiversity, and related topics such as climate change, policy, CEPA, ecosystem services, economics, tools and mechanisms and urban development.
At the closing press conference, delegates received news that the Plan of Action for Cities had been endorsed by the Parties in Working Group 2, a victory for cities. Following that the Plan of Action for Cities was successfully and officially adopted in the closing plenary of the CBD COP10.
For more information see the City Biodiversity Summit website.