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MEMORANDUM OF COOPERATION SIGNED BETWEEN
TWO GLOBAL TREATIES WORKING ON BIODIVERSITY
FEBRUARY 1996 -- A Memorandum of Cooperation has been signed
between Dr. Calestous Juma, Executive Secretary of the Convention
on Biological Diversity, and Mr. Delmar Blasco, Secretary-General
of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971).
The signing is significant as it is the first time an agreement of
this nature has been signed between two global Convention
secretariats working on the conservation and sustainable use of
biological diversity, be it species, ecosystems or genes. It also
indicates the swift concretization of decision II/13 adopted by the
Contracting Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
meeting last November in Jakarta, Indonesia, which called for
further cooperation and coordination of activities in the field of
conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
"It gives me great joy that our two Conventions working in the same
field are moving closer to achieving the aims of institutional
cooperation and the harmonization of procedures as to reporting
requirements of the Parties", said Dr. Juma. "What is most
interesting is that we shall be able to exchange scientific and
technical information through the Clearing-house mechanism which
started its pilot phase in 1996."
The agreement has six articles, covering: institutional
cooperation, exchange of information and experience, coordination
of programmes of work, joint conservation work and consultation,
reporting and guidance. The overall objective is the effective
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in wetlands.
"I am particularly happy to sign, on behalf of the Ramsar
Convention on Wetlands, said Mr. Delmar Blasco. "This agreement
formalizes the spirit of active cooperation which prevails between
our two Secretariats, and provides avenues for realizing, in
practice, the conservation and sustainable use of wetland
biodiversity. Our joint presence here today is also a consequence
of the adoption by the Ramsar Contracting Parties at Kushiro
(Japan) in 1993, of a Recommendation calling for closer links and
cooperation between us, and demonstrates that both Secretariats
take it very much to heart to maximize their efforts by working
together."
The Convention on Biological Diversity is a global treaty that was
opened for signature during the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development in 1992. It has three aims:
conservation, sustainable use of biological diversity and the fair
and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic
resources. Biological diversity is defined in terms of the number
and variety of living organisms on the planet. It covers genes,
species and ecosystems which are the outcome of over 3,000 million
years of evolution. The Convention entered into force on 29
December 1993. To date, 139 Governments and the European Union
have ratified it.
Ms. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Executive Director of the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP), which administers the Biodiversity Convention
Secretariat, called the agreement "a compelling expression of the
flexibility and innovation, increasingly evident in the new
emerging environmental regimes".
Referring to the enhanced mandate of UNEP in the development of
international environmental law, Ms. Dowdeswell emphasized that
this Memorandum of Cooperation was reflective of one of UNEP's main
priorities in this field: promotion of implementation and
coordinating functions of environmental conventions including the
Secretariats. The aim of such agreements was not only the
maximization of synergy between the two Conventions but also the
creation of a coherent body of international environmental law.
The Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) is a global treaty
which forms the framework for international cooperation on the
conservation and wise use (i.e. sustainable use) of wetland
resources. To date, 92 Parties have ratified the Convention.
Seven hundred seventy-five wetlands totalling over 52 million
hectares have been designated for the Ramsar List of Wetlands of
International Importance.
For more information, contact:
Dr. Calestous Juma Mr. Delmar Blasco
Executive Secretary Secretary-General
Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention Bureau
Convention on Biological Diversity Mauverney 28
World Trade Centre 1196 Gland
413 St. Jacques Street Switzerland
Office 630
Montreal, Quebec Tel: 41-22-999-0170
Canada H 2Y 1N9 Fax: 41-22-999-0169
Email: ramsar@hq.iucn.ch
Tel: 1-514-288-2220
Fax: 1-514-228-6588
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