Side Event
Committed to biodiversity - Biodiversity in German International Cooperation (preliminary title)
Organizer
German Federal Government (Ministry for the Environment; Ministry for Economic Cooperation)
Date and Time
19 October 2012 13:15 - 14:45
Meeting
Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11)
The German federal government is committed to providing suitable financing to reach the goals of the Strategic Plan 2011 - 2020 of the CBD to preserve biodiversity and ecosystems and to support sustainable development in partner countries. In 2008 German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced in 2008 that Germany will provide additional 500 Million Euro from 2009 to 2012 and permanently half a billion Euros per year from 2013 onwards for the conservation of forests and other important ecosystems. Since Nagoya the Strategic Plan 2011 – 2020 provides the international policy framework and guidance for implementing this funding. Germany’s International Biodiversity Engagement is implemented by various public, private and international organizations. While delivery is decentralized, coordination is guaranteed centrally by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). Within the German Federal Government, BMZ is responsible for financing, planning and coordination of development cooperation activities and for developing corresponding policies, principles and programmes. BMZ is the main government body financing official development assistance (ODA). Based on the demands of the development partners, biodiversity conservation and sustainable use and protection of the environment belong to the key priority areas for German Development Cooperation. In addition to that since 2008, the International Climate Initiative (ICI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports projects designed to mitigate climate change, conserve biodiversity and adapt to climate change impacts. A dedicated support area for biological diversity was established within the Initiative in 2011. With this side event we would like to provide an insight into Germany’s commitment for enhancing resource mobilization and give an overview on how German International Cooperation together with its partners contributes to the effective implementation of the CBD, in particular the Strategic Plan and the Nagoya Protocol to safeguard our natural capital for current and future generations. Participants can get more familiar with our cooperation processes, instruments and tools. Lessons learnt and good practices will be discussed and shared to inform the ongoing discussions at COP 11. Panel/presenters: • Parliamentarian State Secretary Ursula Heinen-Esser, Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety; Head of Delegation (tbc) • Gertrud Sahler, Director General , Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) • Dr. Friedrich Kitschelt, Director General, Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) (tbc) • Heiko Warnken, Head of Division 301 “International Development Cooperation on Biological Diversity”, Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) • Partner country representative • Executing Agencies (GIZ; KfW) • NGO Representative