22 May 2014: On the International Day of Biological Diversity, Caleb Otto, Permanent Representative of Palau to the UN, moderated an event to highlight “bright spots” of conservation leadership in small island developing States (SIDS). The event also served as the launch of a publication from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Global Island Partnership (GLISPA), titled ‘Island bright spots in conservation and sustainability: investing, scaling and replicating in order to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.’
Otto noted: the progress of the Micronesia Challenge; partnerships among islands, governments including Italy and the US, and conservation NGOs; innovative funding mechanisms such as a “green fee” for foreign visitors to Palau; and the Voyage.
A representative of the CBD Secretariat said the new publication shows that some of the best practices are in the islands, which are leaders on biodiversity. Speaking via video message, Braulio Dias, CBD Executive Secretary, said biodiversity-based businesses are important for island economies; the regional conservation challenges and GLISPA show the way for successful multi-party commitments; the programme of work adopted in 2006 provides a framework for poverty eradication and sustainable development of islands, and called for scaling up the bright spots and replicating them throughout the world, to achieve the 2011-2020 goals and Aichi Targets.
Denis Antoine, Permanent Representative of Grenada, said islands have long been “clamoring” about biodiversity, and several have positioned it at the core of their economic development. He said biodiversity is achieved by “going local” and engaging society. Antoine played a calypso song about biodiversity and an audio skit about pollution, produced by the Ministry of Environment to educate the public.
Robert Aisi, Permanent Representative of Papua New Guinea, said his country’s challenges and vulnerabilities include invasive alien species, ocean acidification, bleaching, deforestation, overfishing and climate change. The international community should develop more marine protected areas (MPAs), address pollution and waste, restore healthy fish stocks, and address sea-level rise due to climate change.
Francella Strickland, Permanent Mission of Samoa, announced that Samoa has deposited its instrument of ratification for the Nagoya Protocol. She shared the close linkages between biodiversity and “normal life as an island person,” and said village-based projects have been an effective approach. She also highlighted the Third UN Conference on SIDS taking place in Samoa in September 2014, and said the purpose is to launch concrete and successful partnerships, including on oceans, seas and biodiversity.
Ronny Jumeau, Seychelles Ambassador-at-large on SIDS issues and Climate Change, and co-chair of the GLISPA steering committee, said biodiversity is part of the solution to development challenges and a major contributor to the “sustainability” in sustainable development. He also announced that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has selected Hawaii to host the 2016 World Conservation Congress.
Elliott Harris, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), shared personal experiences from his island childhood, such as a local commitment to protect leatherback turtles, demonstrating that protecting endangered species leads to tourism and economic benefits, and it is “entirely possible to reconcile economics, development and the protection of biodiversity without any compromise.”
The permanent representatives of Spain and Kazakhstan, along with representatives of Italy, Micronesia, the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) also gave remarks. [IISD RS Sources] [Publication: Island Bright Spots in Conservation & Sustainability: Investing, Scaling and Replicating in Order to Achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets]