Decision COP VII/32

Recognizing that world leaders at the Millennium Summit have established the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as the focus of global efforts to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women, and that the Millennium Development Goals agenda provides the framework for the entire United Nations system to work coherently toward these common ends,

Welcoming the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and in particular its recognition of the critical and essential role played by biodiversity in sustainable development, poverty eradication, human well-being and the livelihood and cultural integrity of people,

Noting that achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular goal 1 (Combating poverty and hunger), Goal 6 (Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases), and goal 7 (Ensuring environmental sustainability) are dependent on the effective conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources,

Recalling that the Convention on Biological Diversity is the key international instrument for the integration of biodiversity-related issues into the Millennium Development Agenda,

Concerned that if development activities are not undertaken in a manner consistent with the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, they may at the same time further degrade biological diversity and undermine sustainability and hence limit achievement of the Millennium Development Goals,

Noting the linkage between biodiversity, food and nutrition and the need to enhance sustainable use of biodiversity to combat hunger and malnutrition, and thereby contribute to target 2 of goal 1 of the Millennium Development Goals (To halve between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger),

1.Urges Parties, Governments, international financial institutions, donors, and relevant intergovernmental organizations, as a contribution towards the Millennium Development Goals, to implement development activities in ways that are consistent with, and do not compromise, the achievement of the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the 2010 target, including by improving environmental policies in relevant development agencies and sectors such as through integrating concerns relating to biodiversity and the Millennium Development Goals more directly into environmental impact assessments, strategic environmental assessments and other such tools, including at the national level through the national strategies for sustainable and the poverty reduction strategies and programmes.

3.Invites Parties to promote the integration of the relevant Millennium Development Goals into the implementation of the programmes of work of the Convention;

4.Urges Parties to report on their actions at the national level to link efforts to achieve relevant Millennium Development Goals and the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity in their next national report;

6.Noting with appreciation the ongoing initiatives of the Executive Secretary, requests the Executive Secretary to publish the full results of the study on “The programme of work of the Convention and the Millennium Development Goals”, summarized in UNEP/CBD/COP/7/20/Add.1, and to promote further the importance of biodiversity to sustainable development, livelihoods, food security, poverty reduction and eradication in all relevant forums and using a variety of appropriate media including, inter alia, making full use of the clearing-house mechanism and formalizing relevant activities under the programme of work for implementation and outreach, including communication education and public awareness;