Objectives
Contributing to the Convention on biological diversity (CBD)
The title of this fifth Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity will be “Ecosystems and people – biodiversity for development – the road to 2010 and beyond”. Focus will be on why biodiversity is important for fighting poverty and for sustainable development and on difficult trade-offs in this regard. This broad approach has been chosen since key strategic issues to be discussed at the next Conference of the Parties in May 2008 will be progress in the implementation of the Strategic Plan for the CBD and follow-up on progress towards the 2010 target of significantly reducing the rate of biodiversity loss and relevant Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
These are comprehensive and critical issues under the convention, and through sound presentations and open discussions we want the conference to:
Illustrate the role of biodiversity in poverty alleviation and in reaching the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Demonstrate the critical role of biodiversity and ecosystems in securing sustainable development Consider progress on the goal to achieve by 2010 “a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth” and look at efforts towards 2010 and beyond Present and consider difficult trade-offs that countries will have to make Provide insights and inspiration for enhanced implementation of the Strategic Plan for the CBD Various sessions will bring this together, and the program includes scientific studies, policy presentations and practical case studies that will provide participants with insights and inspiration.
A key objective of the Trondheim conference will be to contribute to further progress on these issues at COP-9. This will be done through providing useful input to the thirteenth meeting of CBD’s Subsidiary body on scientific, technical and technological affairs (SBSTTA-13), scheduled to be held 18 - 22 February 2008 in Rome, which will present recommendations for decisions to be made on these issues at COP-9. Expected outputs include (1) Proceedings of the Conference in the form of an un-refereed technical report, (2) a shorter summary report aimed as input to SBSTTA-13 and (3) other relevant material to be made available to the participants and on the Internet.
Tentative programme
The programme for the conference is being developed by a Conference Programme Committee, chaired by Dr Odd Terje Sandlund of the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA).
