The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development joined the 29th meeting of the Sub-committee on Biological Diversity on March 11, 2015 at the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Training Center, Diliman, Quezon City.
Headed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources through the BMB, the meeting was conducted to report the outputs and outcome of Philippine delegates’ negotiations and interventions at the 12th Conference of Parties (COP 12) of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD).
COP 12 conducted a mid-term review of the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and Aichi Biodiversity Targets and prepared Pyeongchang Roadmap to facilitate their implementation.
Attended by delegates from 194 parties and other participants from international organizations and NGOs, the activity was held on September 29-October 17, 2014 at Pyeongchang, Gangwon (Kangwon-do), Republic of Korea.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources served as the Philippine representative to the said activity.
With the theme, “Biodiversity for Sustainable Development,” COP 12 aims to raise international awareness about the essential role of biodiversity and its contribution to sustainable development. It put strong emphasis on biodiversity in discussing the Post-2015 Development Agenda and setting of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In the sub-committee’s meeting, the Philippine delegates discussed several items negotiated in the COP 12 including the mid-term review of progress towards the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. The plan provides an overarching framework on biodiversity, not only for biodiversity-related conventions, but for the entire United Nations system and all other partners engaged in biodiversity management and policy development.
Other items discussed by the Philippine delegates include resource mobilization; financial mechanism; marine and coastal diversity; synthetic biology; global strategy for plant conservation; and the multi-year program of work of the COP up to 2020.
Notable results included those on marine and coastal diversity where the Philippines recommended the improvement of existing areas which protect coral reefs and related ecosystems, including mangrove and seagrass habitats, to address their management and broader ecological objectives.
Results on synthetic biology, one of COP’s new and emerging issues, were also discussed. Relative to this concern, risk assessment and risk management processes relating to synthetic biotechnology will be conducted.
Sub-committee members were tasked to send their inputs on current and new and emerging issues for oncoming conferences.
DOST-PCAARRD values its involvement on the country’s biodiversity concern, in keeping with its commitment under DOST’s Outcome One: to provide science-based know-how and tools that will enable the agricultural sector to raise productivity to world-class standards.
DOST’s avowal of public service will once more take center stage as it celebrates this year’s National Science and Technology Week on July 24-28 at SMX Mall of Asia, Pasay City with Philippines: A Science Nation Innovating for Global Competitiveness as its theme.