News and Analysis • Volume • Number • 6th October 2006

HOW TO INTEGRATE BIODIVERSITY CONSIDERATIONS INTO DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

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Government and civil society participants gathered from 19 to 21 September at a conference on “Biodiversity in European Development Cooperation” in Paris — organised by IUCN in partnership with the European Commission — to discuss how to better integrate biodiversity into EU development cooperation. At the close of the meeting, the 400 participants adopted a “message” on how this could be done, providing concrete recommendations on how the EU could turn its biodiversity commitments into action.

The EU provides half of the world’s funding for development cooperation. Over the last decade, the bloc has sought to integrate biodiversity concern into its development cooperation, including though an initiative entitled “Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 - and Beyond” and a thematic programme on biodiversity. However, effective mainstreaming of biodiversity into development cooperation remains a challenge, partly due to limited implementation.

Meanwhile, the concept of aid for trade have gained momentum, with discussion taking place under the Doha trade negotiations in response to developing countries’ call for mechanisms to help them overcome supply side constraints. While the links between the aid for trade mandate and biodiversity protection was not explicitly discussed at the conference, the need for coherence with trade policies and mainstreaming of biodiversity considerations in trade policy were highlighted.

The conference participants adopted the consensus-based “Message from Paris: Integrating biodiversity into European development cooperation”. The text reflects their views on the key areas of intervention where the EU could make a meaningful contribution to achieving the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity through its development cooperation. The message highlights four major challenges that the EU would need to act upon by: supporting mainstreaming in partner countries; improving governance; employing innovative instruments and enhancing policy coherence; and recognising biodiversity in Overseas Countries and Territories. In addition, participants stressed the need to incorporate the 2010 biodiversity target into the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) framework.