18 August 2011: The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) seeking to contribute to the implementation of the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.

The MoU was signed by CBD Executive Secretary Ahmed Djoghlaf and UEBT’s Executive Director Rik Kutsch Lojenga on 18 August 2011, in Geneva, Switzerland. According to the MoU, the two organizations will work together on key issues of the Strategic Plan, particularly on: increasing public awareness of biodiversity; promoting business engagement in biodiversity protection; and putting into practice the equitable sharing of benefits resulting from biodiversity use. In addition, UEBT will provide regular inputs on biodiversity awareness using its annual biodiversity awareness study, the Biodiversity Barometer. [CBD Press Release]