‘Bring the Voice of Biodiversity into the Post-2015 Agenda’, Secretary-General Urges in Video Message to Treaty Parties

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message to the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, held in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, today:

It is a pleasure to greet the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.  I thank the Government of the Republic of Korea for hosting this meeting.  Biodiversity and ecosystem services are the basis for our health, wealth and well-being.  Biodiversity also plays a key role in mitigating and adapting to climate change and reducing vulnerability to disasters.

The ongoing effort to shape the post-2015 development agenda provides a welcome opportunity to promote biodiversity.  The recent outcome of the Open Working Group of the General Assembly includes a strong call to halt the loss of biodiversity and land degradation, foster the sustainable use of ecosystems and enhance marine biodiversity.

There has been important progress in safeguarding biodiversity, including the entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing.  But, much more remains to be done.  I call on all of you to enhance your efforts to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.  I urge you to continue to bring the voice of biodiversity into the post-2015 agenda and sustainable development goals.

Above all, I call upon you to take the steps to implement both of these agendas, for our sake and for the sake of future generations.