October 2010: The UN Environment Management Group (EMG) has presented its report, “Advancing the Biological Diversity Agenda: A System-Wide Contribution,” at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 10) which is convening in Nagoya, Japan, from 18-29 October.

The report was prepared by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in its capacity as Secretariat of the EMG. The report presents ways in which various policy sectors can help maintain biodiversity and ecosystem services, and it illustrates existing opportunities for improved mainstreaming. According to the report, public institutions, such as the UN, can help set the framework conditions for actions by the private sector, households, and individuals to act to protect and conserve biodiversity.

Alongside the report, the Executive Heads of the EMG released a statement committing to the international biodiversity agenda, and in particular to identifying opportunities for cooperation on mainstreaming biodiversity into their policy sectors through, inter alia: using advances in environmental and social sciences, monitoring, modelling and forecasting to support the ongoing process on the development of an intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services; using new developments in information and communication technology and knowledge management to exchange information particularly needed to stem biodiversity loss; cooperating at all levels through the “One UN” initiative to support governments’ efforts to implement their biodiversity commitments; supporting nationally driven efforts to arrest biodiversity loss; capitalizing on ongoing efforts, such as The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) initiative, to improve the understanding of the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as to support governments in making a shift toward more sustainable development, for example through a green economy, including investment in sustainable and equitable use and conservation of biodiversity, which may generate jobs and economic wealth; recognizing and respecting the role of poor and vulnerable groups, including indigenous peoples, as custodians of biodiversity; promoting awareness and enhancing capacities among relevant stakeholder groups from each sector and identifying win-win situations across sectors; and reviewing progress in implementing the biodiversity agenda through structured and streamlined reporting, self evaluations, and use of internationally agreed indicators and targets. [The report] [The statement]