Montreal / Hamburg – The World Future Council has selected biodiversity as the topic for this year’s Future Policy Award to mark the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity. The Future Policy Award celebrates policies with particularly positive effects on the rights of future generations. The aim of the award is to raise global awareness for these exemplary policies and speed up policy action towards just, sustainable and peaceful societies. The Future Policy Award is the first award that celebrates policies rather than people on an international level. Each year, the World Future Council chooses one topic on which policy progress is particularly urgent.
The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will be the formal host of the award ceremony, which will be held in Nagoya, Japan, on 26 October 2010 as part of the official programme of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention.
Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention, said, “I congratulate the World Future Council for choosing biodiversity as topic of this year. Protecting life on Earth requires adequate rules and regulations in support of the implementation of the three objectives of the Convention. To this end, recognizing, encouraging and rewarding model biodiversity laws and regulations with a view of promoting best practices and emulating good example is essential for the successful implementation of the post-2010 biodiversity strategy.”
Ms. Alexandra Wandel, Management Board Representative of the World Future Council, said, “We wish to endorse the International Year of Biodiversity by making biodiversity the subject of the 2010 Future Policy Award. Policymakers, business and citizens must work to safeguard our irreplaceable natural wealth and halt biodiversity loss. This is vital for current and future human wellbeing. Now is the time to act.”
Nominations are received by a select group of international organizations as well as from Councillors and members of the Board of Advisors of the World Future Council. A research team screens all nominated policies according to the seven principles for sustainable-development law that were presented at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development. As a result, an evaluation report is presented to the international jury composed of experts from five continents.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and entering into force in December 1993, the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources. With 193 Parties, the Convention has near universal participation among countries. The Convention seeks to address all threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, including threats from climate change, through scientific assessments, the development of tools, incentives and processes, the transfer of technologies and good practices and the full and active involvement of relevant stakeholders including indigenous and local communities, youth, NGOs, women and the business community. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, a supplementary treaty to the Convention, seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology. To date, 156 countries and the European Community are party to the Protocol. The Secretariat of the Convention and its Cartagena Protocol is located in Montreal. For more information, visit www.cbd.int
The International Year of Biodiversity
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. It is a celebration of life on Earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives. The world is invited to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on Earth: biodiversity. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity is the focal point for the year. For more information, see www.cbd.int/2010
The World Future Council
The World Future Council brings the interests of future generations to the centre of policy-making. Its up to 50 eminent members from around the globe have already successfully promoted change. The Council addresses challenges to our common future and provides decision makers with effective policy solutions. In-depth research underpins advocacy work for international agreements, regional policy frameworks and national lawmaking and thus produces practical and tangible results. In close cooperation with civil society actors, parliamentarians, governments, business and international organizations the World Future Council identifies “best policies” around the globe. The World Future Council is registered as a charitable foundation in Hamburg, Germany. For more information, visit www.worldfuturecouncil.org
Press Release dated April 22, 2010
