1 November 2010: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed international agreement on the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS), a key outcome of the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). He cited the agreement as a positive step toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

According to the Secretary-General, the landmark agreement “demonstrated that countries were committed to pragmatic cooperation in meeting the challenges of sustainable development.” He also said the treaty provided an innovative approach to conservation and protection of resources, “while providing benefits to all, in particular local communities in developing countries.”

In an additional UN press conference, Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the CBD Secretariat, presented the Protocol. He stated that the “fate of the planet will depend on the failure or success of the plan.” He also announced that Japan would provide US$2 billion over three years to implement the Nagoya Protocol, as well as ¥1 billion “to help African countries revise their strategies.” [UN Press Release] [UN Press Conference with CBD Executive Secretary]