City of Montpellier joins LAB, issues joint Declaration and plans the Medivicities network

On Thursday 19 January 2012, Madame Mayor Hélène Mandroux singed the Durban Commitment on behalf of the City of Montpellier which simultaneously joined ICLEI’s flagship biodiversity initiative, Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) Pioneer Project.

Montpellier hosted the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) Mediterranean Regional Workshop for Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. For the first time, local authorities and representatives of governments met to implement the Strategic Plan For Biodiversity 2011-2012, including the 20 Aichi Targets in the Mediterranean region. The workshop was coordinated by the City of Montpellier, the CBD and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability.

The signing ceremony took place in the context of the workshop, “Biodiversity Strategy in the Mediterranean Basin: from national to Local Action”, hosted by the City of Montpellier on 17-20 January, with generous support from the Japanese Minsitry of Environment.

The Médivercités network will boost efforts to conserve biodiversity in the Mediterranean Basin, by creating a community of learning, enabling the sharking of knowledge and best practices, and facilitating cooperation between governments.

The workshop  provided the platform for the review of the draft outlines of the first global Outlook on Cities and Biodiversity to be presented at RIO+20. ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Centre’s, Global Coordinator, Ms Kobie Brand, and Technical Programme Officer, Mr Russell Galt, attended the workshop on behalf of ICLEI.

The Mayor of Montpellier, Honourable Ms. Hélène Mandroux, signed the Durban Commitment at the workshop. The Durban Commitment is one of the  steps in the ICLEI- LAB Pioneer Project where city leaders support and recognise the need to commit to biodiversity and ecosystem management.

Montpellier was also recently voted a winner in the French Capitals of Biodiversity. With this achievement and by hosting the regional workshop, joining LAB Pioneer and signing the Durban Commitment, Montpellier has established itself as a leading international city in urban biodiversity management. We welcome Montpellier in the fold of LAB Pioneer cities.

For more information about the workshop please see the CBD’s Communique dated 17 January 2012.