PES member Roby Biwer, Member of Bettembourg Municipal Council (Luxembourg), outlined today his expectations for the Fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP14), which is taking place from 10 to 22 November 2018 in Sharm-El-Sheik,Egypt. Mr Biwer will participate in this conference to present the CoR's position in his capacity as CoR rapporteur on the post-2020 EU Biodiversity Strategy.
"In view of the preparations for COP15 for biodiversity in 2020, COP 14 must set more ambitious goals than ever: not only to stop the loss of species, but to reverse it by restoring damaged or already destroyed biotopes and fully protecting the natural landscapes. The existing network of Natura 2000 areas is an excellent example for successful EU policies and a model for the world community. Now it is crucially important to manage these areas sustainably in order to preserve biodiversity and natural resources", stressed Biwer.
He also underlined the crucial role of cities and regions in supporting the implementation of the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the Convention on Biological Diversity, as many decisions affecting biodiversity are taken in cities and regions. "The CoR can play an important role regarding the engagement with regional and local authorities all over Europe and by advocating multilevel governance for biodiversity protection at a global level", he emphasised, urging that "this will require tailor-made financial resources, which the European Commission proposes for the new financial framework, as well as the exchange of related experiences".
The conference, during which Roby Biwer will speak also at the 'City Summit' and is planned to have a series of important bilateral meetings, including with the Aichi Prefecture and the Chinese Minister for the Environment, will be a crucial opportunity to mobilise resources and reinforce efforts for the implementation of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets for 2020, and to prepare the ground for a new strategic plan on how to halt biodiversity loss and restore eco-systems globally until 2050.The CoR opinion has, quite exceptionally, already been distributed by the organisers as a conference document to the participants.
