Memorandum
Biodiversity is declining all over the world. Bad news, since it is exactly this diversity of life forms that is at the basis of the healthy functioning of ecosystems (such as tropical rain forests, coral reefs, swamps…). If biodiversity turns bad, the products and services offered by the ecosystems (such as food, fresh air and drinking water) will suffer as well. Protecting biodiversity is therefore a wise thing to do. That is indeed the intention of Target 2010: all signing parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity devote themselves to curb the loss of biodiversity by 2010.
The excessive exploitation of natural resources for human profit constitutes a serious threat to biodiversity.
The target is ambitious but not impossible. To achieve this goal, it is absolutely necessary that sufficient scientific knowledge is available there, where biodiversity is richest, permitting an efficient protection and conservation of nature. But this is where the shoe pinches. Most regions that are rich in biodiversity are situated in the southern hemisphere, where scientific expertise is short. That is why experts from developed countries should take measures to fill this knowledge gap.
Scientific training in developing countries is one of the National focal point's prime objectives.
This makes it a priority for the Museum of Natural Sciences. As National focal point to the Convention on Biological Diversity, supported by the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation (DGDC), our Institute organizes courses and workshops for people from developing countries. It thus contributes to provide to the southern hemisphere the scientific knowledge needed to efficiently preserve its biodiversity and to exploit it in a sustainable way.
At the eighth conference of the Parties to the Convention, held this year in Curitiba (Brasil), the Museum of Natural Sciences joined six other prominent foreign institutions: the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural Scieces (Washington DC, USA), the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (Paris, France); the Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew, United Kingdom), the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bonn, Germany), the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Dr. J. Van Goethem, Head of the National focal point, signs the agreement in Curitiba (Brazil) on 27 March 2006.
All signing parties are resolved to organize training and education, thus contributing to the successful implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and to the achievement of Target 2010. The invitation of our Museum to sign the Convention means an acknowledgment of the activities we’ve been undertaking as National focal point. Target 2010 can only be attained with internationally united forces.
More on the Convention on biological diversity (*)
More on the Belgian National focal point (*)
More on the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation (*)
(*) These web pages will open in a new window.
Photographs © Koen Nieuwenhuize, Philippe Kok, Yves Samyn and Bancé Soumayila
