‘Let Us Act Urgently to Put Biodiversity on Path to Recovery’, Secretary-General Stresses, in Message for International Day

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day for Biological Diversity, observed on 22 May:

The world’s complex web of biological diversity sustains all life on Earth.  Yet it is unravelling at alarming speed — and humanity is to blame. 

We are contaminating land, oceans and freshwater with toxic pollution, wrecking landscapes and ecosystems, and disrupting our precious climate with greenhouse gas emissions.  Decimating biodiversity damages sustainable development today and creates a dangerous and uncertain tomorrow. 

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework offers a pathway to reverse loss and restore biodiversity — while creating jobs, building resilience and spurring sustainable development.

Governments must lead.  But as this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity reminds us, we are all “part of the plan” — we all have a role to play.  Indigenous Peoples, business, financial institutions, local and regional authorities, civil society, women, young people and academia must work together to value, protect and restore biodiversity in a way that benefits everyone. 

As we mark this Day for Biological Diversity, let us commit to be part of the plan.  Let us act urgently to put biodiversity on a path to recovery.  And let us build ambition to the sixteenth United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties in October to protect the planet and create a more sustainable future for us all.