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7th CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (COP-7) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 9-20 February 2004
Highlights
for Friday 13 February 2004
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Peter
Bridgewater, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, highlighted its contribution
to the work programme on inland waters, and stressed the complementarity
between work under the CBD and Ramsar.
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Senegal, on behalf of AFRICA, stressed the need for inventories and characterization of ecosystems for assessment purposes, and financial resources. Above photo: Demba Mamadou Ba (Senegal) |
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SWITZERLAND stressed integrated water resource management programmes and advocated harmonizing national reporting. Above photo: Olivier Biber (Switzerland) |
THAILAND requested reference to exotic stocks of natively occurring species, and genetically modified organisms. Above photo: Jaranthada Karnasuta (Thailand)
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| Marine and Coastal Biodiversity: | |||||||||
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| Working Group II: Clearing-house Mechanism (CHM) | |||||||||
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| Communication, Educationa and Public Affairs (CEPA) | |||||||||
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Antigua
and Barbuda, for GRULAC, noted with concern the severe lack of funding for
CEPA activities and called for funding through the GEF.
Above photo: Diann Black-Layne (Antigua and Barbuda) |
Malaysia noted that limited access to the internet makes the use of
web-based tools for activities in communication, education and public
awareness (CEPA) difficult for poor countries and proposed to distribute
hard-copies of the materials. Above photo L-R: N. Abdul Rahim and N. Manokaran (Malaysia) |
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Jamaica requested new tools for the development of local communication strategies. Elaine Fisher (Jamaica) |
UNESCO underlined its commitment to support CEPA, stressing the
identification of best content and best approaches to establish programmes
for national level implementation. Above photo: Salvatore Arico
(UNESCO) |
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| Contact Group: | |||||||||
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ABS: Delegates
considered user measures without reaching consensus on bracketed references
to the work of, and relation with, WIPO. Regarding the international ABS
regime, discussion was held on the basis of a revised working document
including a draft decision and annexed terms of reference (TOR) for the ABS
Working Group. Delegates discussed the TOR and approved language on process
resulting from discussions in a drafting group. A Friends of the Chair group
was established to resolve differences regarding scope. On the elements,
they agreed on language regarding disclosure requirements in patent
applications. Agreement was also reached on decision language regarding
community participation. |
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Above photo L-R: Valerie Normand, François Pythoud and David Hafashimana composed the dais of the contact group on ABS. |
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PA: Delegates worked into the night to discuss suggested activities for Parties to achieve the work programme’s element on standards, assessment and monitoring. Right photo: Gijs Van Tol (CBD), Contact Group Chair Alfred Oteng Yeboah, and Sarat Babu (CBD) |
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| Side Event: Nordic Council of Minister and the European Commission | |||||||||
| Access and Rights to Genetic Resources: Nordic Cooperation | |||||||||
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Great interest for the Nordic approach to genetic resources that drew a large attendance of more than 90 delegates from 7th CBD COP in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Dr. Peter Johan Schei ( above right) from Norway chaired the event. Lise Lykke Steffensen from the Nordic Council of Ministers told about the Nordic Council of Ministers’ work on biodiversity and genetic resources spanning already over three decades. Grethe Evjen from Norway and Christian Prip (above left) from Denmark along with Morten Walloe Tvedt from the Fridtjof Nansen Institute highlighted Nordic policy and ministerial decisions on access to plant, farm animal, forest and wild genetic resources. Birthe Ivars provided an insight into work under way in Norway to follow-up the Bonn guidelines. Christoph Bail and Nicola Notaro outlined the EC’s approach to the issues involved. Dr. Lim from Malaysia and Brendan Tobin from the United Nations University joined the speakers for the ensuing lively panel discussion. |
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