Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 6 • Number 10 • 2nd June 2006

Biological Diversity, Environment Days Celebrated

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The Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May, urged the global community to address threats to maintaining and protecting the planet’s biological diversity. Ahmed Djoghlaf, in comments made to commemorate the occasion, noted that the theme selected for the event was protecting biodiversity in the drylands. He noted that most of the world’s drylands are found in eight of the world’s ten poorest countries. Thus, “actions to conserve and maintain the health of drylands are intimately linked to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)”. Celebrations and commemorations of the planet’s biodiversity were held around the world, including seminars in Thailand, a photo exhibition in Brazil and a biodiversity communications workshop for journalists in Honduras. To draw attention to the role of trade in exacerbating land degradation, Greenpeace activists around the world mobilised on 22 May to draw attention to the role of European imports of soy feed for farm animals from land that has been converted from biodiversity-rich rainforests in the Amazon rainforest. World Environment Day, which also focused on deserts and desertification, will be celebrated on 5 June.

Information on World Environment Day is available at www.unep.org/wed/

Information on International Day for Biological Diversity is available at http://www.biodiv.org/programmes/outreach/awareness/biodiv-day-2006-ctrs.shtml

“Message of the Executive Secretary of the CBD,” CBD, 22 May 2006; “Greenpeace Slams US Commodities Giant for Amazon Crimes,” GREENPEACE, 22 May 2006.