7 February 2013: In a working visit to UN Headquarters in New York, US, from 14-16 January 2013, Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), briefed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the major outcomes of the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the CBD, underlining the importance of these decisions for the sustainable development agenda.

Braulio Dias solicited the UN Secretary-General’s support for the mainstreaming of biodiversity in the sustainable development agenda through system-wide implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi targets. They also discussed the status of ratifications of the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing (ABS) and the support the UN could provide in facilitating the ratifications necessary for entry into force.

Braulio Dias also met with a range of senior UN officials to brief them on major developments in the Convention’s processes, especially with regard to the Strategic Plan, and to discuss enhanced cooperation between the CBD and the UN Funds and Programmes, as well as with member States’ representatives. [CBD Press Release] [IISD RS Coverage of CBD COP 11]