High-Level Event at the Montreal Botanical Garden

2007 represents the 15th year of the signing of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the signature of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, two major agreements for sustainable development, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. This year’s theme underlines the important relationship between the two environmental agreements and supports the International Polar Year.

In partnership with the City of Montreal, the Secretariat organized a day long conference that looked at the ways these two issues have evolved from the Earth Summit and to the challenges for the future: achieving the 2010 biodiversity target and combating the impacts of climate change. This major international event took place at the Montreal Botanical Garden on 22 May 2007.

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One-Year Anniversary Meeting with the Canadian University Consortium

On 22 May 2006, the Executive Secretary of the CBD extended an invitation to several Canadian universities and research institutions to meet for a roundtable discussion on collaboration with the CBD. At the conclusion of this meeting, an agreement with the Secretariat was signed to join forces in order to mobilize the scientific and technical community in support of the enhanced implementation phase of the Convention.

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Public Conference on Climate Change and Biodiversity

Organized in collaboration with Équiterre and Mission Antarctique, a public conference on biodiversity and climate change took place on the evening of 22 May. The main speaker, Jean Lemire, is a renowned biologist who recently returned from a year-long scientific expedition in the Antarctic. He presented footage of his expedition and spoke of the impacts of climate change on Antarctic biodiversity.

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Also, please see Equiterre's website for more information: http://www.equiterre.org/organisme/conferencebiodiversite.php

Partners:

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Art Competition for Children and Youth

The Secretariat has organized its first art competition for children and youth, under the theme biodiversity and climate change. A pilot project, the competition was launched in Montreal by inviting schools from both the English and French sectors to participate. Over 250 entries were received depicting this year’s theme.

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View all of the artworks

Elementary School Winners	High School Winners

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School Outreach - Promoting Biodiversity Awareness in Schools

The Secretariat has committed itself to raise awareness on the importance of preserving biodiversity and the work of the Convention to Montreal area schools. With a special focus reflecting this year’s theme, biodiversity and climate change, staff members of the Secretariat and volunteers from Montreal-based universities have been visiting schools since January. Presentations, which include a lively question and answer period, are given to individual classes of students of all ages. The campaign has been a great success, as the Secretariat has promoted biodiversity awareness to over 2000 students. We hope that these students will form a generation with a greater sensitivity to biodiversity issues.

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