Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday called on the international community to recommit itself to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss particularly as the United Nations prepares to adopt a new set of development goals. Variety of life on Earth is essential for the welfare of current and future generations, Ban said, marking the International Day for Biological Diversity.
"Protecting ecosystems and ensuring access to ecosystem services by poor and vulnerable groups are essential to eradicating extreme poverty and hunger," Ban said in his remarks on the Day.
International Day for Biological Diversity is marked around the world every year on May 22, with the 2015 theme focused on 'Biodiversity for Sustainable Development.'
"The sustainable development goals and the broader post-2015 development agenda, which are under negotiation now, will provide an opportunity to mainstream biodiversity and promote transformational change in how economies and societies use and regard biodiversity," the UN Chief added.
Later this year, the post-2015 development agenda will be adopted by the world's Governments at a high-level United Nations summit taking place during the opening of the substantive session of the General Assembly this coming September.
Ban said that reducing deforestation and land degradation and enhancing carbon stocks in forests, drylands, rangelands and croplands generate significant benefits and are cost-effective ways to mitigate climate change. Hence, any sustainable development framework must provide conditions for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity for more equitable sharing of benefits.
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