Highlights for Friday, 2 November 2007

On Friday morning, Maria Mbengashe, Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, South Africa, chaired a session on “Global governance and biodiversity.”

Ivar Baste, UNEP, presented on strengthening the scientific basis of the CBD and improving the interface between science and policy. James Griffiths, WBCSD, addressed the role of private business in ecosystem management. Adil Najam, Tufts University, US, discussed the role of developing countries in global biodiversity governance.

In the afternoon, Jeffrey McNeely, IUCN, moderated a panel discussion on “The road to 2010 and beyond.” Panelists included: John Hutton, UNEP WCMC; Maria Berlekom, SwedBio; Sebastian Winkler, IUCN Countdown 2010 Secretariat; Alfred Oteng-Yeboah, IMoSEB; James Griffiths, WBCSD; and Maria Mbengashe.

The closing session was chaired by Trondheim Conference Chair Peter Schei, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway.

Chair Schei introduced the conference conclusions and recommendations and a call for interaction, to be taken to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Bali meetings in December 2007.

Closing addresses were delivered by Christian Prip, 2007 Chairman of the CBD’s Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technological and Technical Advice (SBSTTA) and Asghar Fazel, Iran, incoming SBSTTA Chair.

Erik Solheim, Norwegian Minister of the Environment and of International Development Cooperation, elaborated on the importance of the Conference theme.

Chair Schei extended his appreciation to all delegates, organizers and supporters, wished them a safe journey home and closed the Conference at 4:01 pm.