Since 2006, 21 local governments from fifteen countries pioneered the urban biodiversity project ‘Local Action for Biodiversity’ (LAB) managed by ICLEI.
Phase 1 participants inviting peers
These 21 pioneers advocated continuing and expanding LAB at their September 2008 workshop. They stand behind a global invitation to other local governments to join LAB. Echoing this call and confident from the success of the pilot phase, ICLEI and the World Conservation Union (IUCN), invites local governments to join a new phase of LAB starting in March 2009.
Phase 2 of LAB starts in March 2009, join now
Shall your organization be interested to join dozens of leaders in urban biodiversity in LAB’s next phase, please complete a two-page questionnaire and kindly return it to lab@iclei.org. The ICLEI Africa Office will contact you with more details.
UN resolution promotes local authorities and biodiversity
In May 2008, 100 mayors and local decision-makers gathered in Bonn (Germany) for the Mayors Conference “Local Action for Biodiversity”; held in parallel to the annual meeting of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. The UN delegates adopted a formal decision to promote the engagement of local authorities in biodiversity. This decision also noted the contribution of ICLEI’s Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) Project and IUCN's Countdown 2010 initiative.
The LAB workshop in September 2008, a milestone
From 8 to 10 September 2008, the LAB participants met in Durban (South Africa). The event program included the signing ceremony for the Durban Commitment. The Pioneers created this commitment themselves to “protect and enhance biodiversity at the local level.” It recognizes that biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, provides ecosystem services underpinning all of our communities needs. Signatories of the commitment will also become a formal partner to Countdown 2010 by IUCN.
More information:
Questionnaire to join LAB
Brochure about LAB and its future orientation
LAB website: www.iclei.org/lab
