Message to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) from the BirdLife International Partnership
10 June 2012
Message to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)
Dear World Leaders,
This is a call from the 117 national non-governmental organisations that together are BirdLife International, the world’s largest civil society partnership for nature conservation, to Governments meeting at the UN summit on Sustainable Development. We call on you to demonstrate global leadership in recognising the role and values of biodiversity and ecosystem services in achieving sustainable development.
The resilience of the global economy is intimately linked to the state of the environment. BirdLife urges Governments to mainstream consideration of nature across policy formulation and decision-making processes, and reflect it clearly in indicators of socio-economic development and growth.
A genuinely green economy must centre on the principles of sustainable development as outlined in Agenda 21. It must be in harmony with nature, respect environmental limits, and recognise the crucial underpinning provided by biodiversity and ecosystem services, and thus the fundamental importance of nature conservation to economic prosperity and poverty eradication. It must use the effective solutions that nature offers to many global challenges, including water, food security and climate change.
The underpinning role of nature and biodiversity need to be clearly reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals. This is an important new initiative that we believe should result in a set of quantitative, universally applied goals to measure country performance towards sustainable development, as part of an international post-2015 framework for international development.
We urge a redirection of the ’perverse incentives’ that act to undermine sustainable development, such as subsidies that indirectly stimulate overfishing, destructive agricultural practices and use of fossil fuels.
The marine environment is of special concern. We call for negotiation of an implementing agreement within the framework of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that would address the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, including effective safeguards for ecologically or biologically significant areas.
Lastly, we urge you to take urgent and coherent actions across priority cross-cutting issues such as forests and biodiversity, oceans, water, food security and agriculture, and energy, in support of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, agreed at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2010. These targets are essential for the achievement of sustainable development and must be firmly embedded in ambitious Rio+20 outcomes that are in harmony with nature and respect environmental limits.
We urge you to ensure that biodiversity considerations are included within all relevant outcomes of Rio+20 and to act without delay. Biodiversity and ecosystem services are the basis of our livelihoods, our cultures, and our well-being and are at the heart of a sustainable future for all.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Peter Schei Dr Marco Lambertini Chairman, BirdLife International CEO, BirdLife International
The BirdLife Partnership
AFRICA Botswana BirdLife Botswana Burkina Faso Fondation des Amis de la Nature (NATURAMA) Burundi Association Burundaise pour la Protection des Oiseaux Cameroon Cameroon Biodiversity Conservation Society Djibouti Djibouti Nature Egypt Nature Conservation Eqypt Ethiopia Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society Ghana Ghana Wildlife Society Ivory Coast SOS-FORETS Kenya NatureKenya Liberia Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia Madagascar Asity Madagascar Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) Nigeria Nigerian Conservation Foundation Rwanda Association pour la Conservation de la Nature au Rwanda Seychelles Nature Seychelles Sierra Leone Conservation Society of Sierra Leone South Africa BirdLife South Africa Tanzania Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania Tunisia Association "Les Amis des Oiseaux" Uganda NatureUganda Zambia Zambian Ornithological Society Zimbabwe BirdLife Zimbabwe
AMERICAS Argentina Aves Argentinas/AOP Bahamas Bahamas National Trust Belize Belize Audubon Society Bolivia Asociación Civil Armonía Brazil SAVE Brasil Canada Bird Studies Canada Canada Nature Canada Chile Comité Nacional Pro Defensa de la Flora y Fauna Cuba Centro Nacional de Areas Protegidas Dominican Republic Grupo Jaragua Ecuador Aves & Conservacion El Salvador SalvaNATURA Falkland Islands Falklands Conservation Mexico Pronatura Panama Sociedad Audubon de Panamá Paraguay Guyra Paraguay Puerto Rico Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña, Inc Suriname Foundation for Nature Conservation in Suriname Uruguay Aves Uruguay USA Audubon
ASIA Hong Kong Hong Kong Bird Watching Society India Bombay Natural History Society Indonesia Burung Indonesia Japan Wild Bird Society of Japan Malaysia Malaysian Nature Society Myanmar Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association Nepal Bird Conservation Nepal Philippines Haribon Foundation Singapore Nature Society (Singapore) Sri Lanka Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka Taiwan Chinese Wild Bird Federation Thailand Bird Conservation Society of Thailand
EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA Andorra Associació per a la Defensa de la Natura Armenia Armenian Society for the Protection of Birds Austria BirdLife Austria Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Ornithological Society Belarus Akhova Ptushak Belarusi Belgium BirdLife Belgium Bulgaria Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds Cyprus BirdLife Cyprus Czech Republic Czech Society for Ornithology Denmark Dansk Ornitologisk Forening Estonia Eesti Ornitoloogiaühing (EOÜ) Faroe Islands Føroya Fuglafødifelag(Faroese Orginithological Society) Finland BirdLife SUOMI-FINLAND France Ligue Pour La Protection des Oiseaux Georgia Georgian Centre for the Conservation of Wildlife Germany NABU NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION UNION Gibraltar Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society Greece Hellenic Ornithological Society Hungary Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society Iceland Fuglavernd - BirdLife Iceland Ireland BirdWatch Ireland Israel Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel Italy Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli Kazakhstan Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Public Association NABS Latvia Latvijas Ornitologijas Biedriba Liechtenstein Botanisch-Zoologische Gesellschaft Lithuania Lietuvos Ornitologu Draugija Luxembourg natur&ëmwelt Macedonia Macedonian Ecological Society Malta BirdLife Malta Netherlands Vogelbescherming Nederland Norway Norsk Ornitologisk Forening Poland Ogólnopolskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Ptaków Portugal Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves Romania Romanian Ornithological Society Slovakia Slovak Ornithological Society / BirdLife Slovakia Slovenia Drustvo Za Opazovanje in Proucevanje Ptic Slovenije Spain SEO/BirdLife Sweden Sveriges Ornitologiska Förening Switzerland SVS/BirdLife Switzerland Turkey Doga Dernegi Ukraine Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Birds United Kingdom Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Society for the Protection of Birds
MIDDLE EAST Bahrain Bahrain Natural History Society Iraq Nature Iraq Jordan Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature Kuwait Kuwait Environment Protection Society Lebanon Society for the Protection of Nature and Natural Resources in Lebanon Palestine Palestine Wildlife Society Qatar Friends of the Environment Centre Saudi Arabia Saudi Wildlife Commission Syria The Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife Yemen Yemen Society for the Protection of Wildlife
PACIFIC Australia BirdLife Australia Cook Islands Te Ipakurea Society French Polynesia Société d'Ornithologie de Polynésie "Manu" New Caledonia Société Calédonienne d’Ornithologie New Zealand Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc Palau Palau Conservation Society Samoa O le Si'osi'omaga Society Incorporated