Major Group: Parliamentarians, Farmers, Workers and Trade Unions
Farmers, Workers and Trade Unions are two major groups identified in Agenda 21, General Assembly resolution 47/190 of 22 December 1992.
Parliamentarians are members of parliament or, in other words, representatives elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament. They are legislators and monitors of government policy at the national level, as well as the guardians of the public will and conscience as elected representatives of the population.
As the decision-makers of policies, governmental plans and budgets, the parliamentarians are the main players in deciding on legislation deriving from decisions from the Conference of the Parties to the Convention. By creating, amending and ratifying laws, they can therefore translate the consensus reached internationally under the Convention on Biological Diversity into tangible actions at the national and local levels.
Parliamentarians can also strengthen the mandate of CBD National Focal Points, in their efforts to promote the implementation of the COP decisions and activities.
The Convention has identified Parliamentarians as a major group since its inception. A cooperation agreement was signed between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union in 1996 (Annex of document A/51/402). In the United Nations Millennium Declaration (Resolution 55/2) and the 2005 World Summit Outcome (Resolution 60/1), Heads of State and Government resolved to strengthen further cooperation between the United Nations and national parliaments through the Inter-Parliamentary Union in all fields of work of the United Nations.
Several resolutions from the Inter-Parliamentary Union concern biodiversity. A resolution adopted unanimously by the 111th Assembly in Geneva, October 2004, on the role of Parliamentarians in preserving biodiversity, recognizes that the CBD is the principal international instrument addressing the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. It calls on governments to take more effective action in implementing the Convention in order to achieve the target set by the World Summit on Sustainable Development of reducing significantly the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, and urges parliamentarians to take action on ensuring that the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity are integrated into national sectoral and cross-sectoral programmes and policies. During the 114th Assembly in 2006, another resolution was passed on the role of parliaments in environmental management and in combating global degradation of the environment.
A Presidential Declaration on Climate Change was endorsed during the 116th Assembly in 2007, expressing concerns over the adverse impact of climate change and calling for progress in awareness raising among parliaments related in particular to avoidance of deforestation, financial mechanisms, and the transfer of appropriate and environmentally sound technology. Climate change was also proposed as an emergency item during this year’s 118th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary union.
Bonn Declaration on Parliamentarians and Biodiversity
The Parliamentarians participating in the meeting on Parliamentarians and Biodiversity held in Bonn, Germany, on 27 May 2008, at the occasion of the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Bonn Declaration on Parliamentarians and Biodiversity, demonstrating the commitment of parliamentarians toward the achievement of the objectives of the Convention.
Nagoya Declaration On Parliamentarians and Biodiversity
120 legislators from 38 Parties to the Convention participated in the Parliamentarians and Biodiversity Forum on October 25 and 26, 2010, co-organized by GLOBE International and its Japan chapter, and the Secretariat of the CBD. Participants adopted the Nagoya Declaration on Parliamentarians and Biodiversity.
Relevant links
The Inter-Parliamentary Union
The Inter-Parliamentary Union, grouping over 140 national parliaments, is the focal point for world wide parliamentary dialogue. A Cooperation Agreement was signed between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union as early as 1996 (Annex of document A/51/402). Then, in the United Nations Millennium Declaration (Resolution 55/2) and the 2005 World Summit Outcome (Resolution 60/1), Heads of State and Government resolved to strengthen further cooperation between the United Nations and national parliaments through the Inter-Parliamentary Union in all fields of work of the United Nations.
Several resolutions from the Inter-Parliamentary Union concern biodiversity:
GLOBE International
GLOBE International is an international league of legislators which objective is to facilitate high level dialogues amongst legislators on key environmental issues, such as climate change, illegal logging and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. These dialogues are led by legislators but also involve international business leaders and civil society representatives.
