Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), adopted during the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, promotes the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity for the benefit of present and future generations. It was created because of the global recognition by countries of the threats to biodiversity given its importance for evolution, for maintaining life sustaining systems of the biosphere and for livelihoods.
Conference of the Parties
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the governing body of the CBD, which has 188 members (187 countries and the European Union). Notably the USA has not ratified the CBD. Meetings of the COP are held every two years in different continents and Parties as well as observers from international organizations, indigenous peoples' leaders and environmental, development and other civil society organisations attend. Since the entry into law of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in 2003, the COP has also acted as the forum for the Meeting of the Parties (MOP) of the Protocol.
Other international bodies are tasked by the CBD to provide legal instruments that address specific issues. For example, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) worked with governments to make an international law governing plant genetic resources, commonly called the International Seed Treaty (in full the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture).
The agenda of the CBD/COP meetings has been expanding session by session. From the first meeting (COP 1) the workload has expanded threefold. In COP 1 (in 1994) there were 33 documents and 13 Decisions and in COP 7 (in 2004) there were 92 documents and 36 Decisions. The COP in 2006 has 92 documents on the agenda plus another 34 documents for the Biosafety Protocol meeting – all in 6 languages.
This increase in documentation and decisions is in recognition of the complexity and importance of the issues ranging from the conservation of biodiversity in different ecosystems and its sustainable use by people for many purposes to international regimes on access to genetic resources and mechanisms for benefit sharing.
Terminator Technology
The inter-relationship of agriculture and biodiversity has been a continual theme within the CBD since the mid 1990s. Successive decisions culminated in an agreed plan and programme of work in the year 2000. This seeks to mitigate the negative impacts of agriculture on biodiversity and strengthen the contribution of biodiversity to agriculture, especially as practiced by the millions of small-scale food producers around the world who develop and manage what is called agricultural biodiversity. Identified threats to agricultural biodiversity are addressed, for example, the CBD also agreed in 2000 that Parties should not approve Genetic use Restriction Technologies (Terminator Technology) for field-testing and commercialisation. Terminator is a GM technology designed to sterilise farm-saved seeds, thereby protecting corporate seed sales.
CBD / COP 8
The eighth Conference of the Parties to the CBD / COP 8 - is being held in Curitiba, Brazil from 20 – 31 March 2006. It is preceded by the third meeting of the Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety from 13 – 17 March 2006.
As reported by PANOS in their Overview of the CBD and COP 8 http://www.panos.org.uk/global/cbd2006_about.asp :
The main goal of the Curitiba meeting, as proposed by the CBD, is to agree a ‘roadmap' to achieve the previously set 2010 Biodiversity Target : “achieving a significant reduction in the rate of loss of biological diversity by 2010, as a contribution to poverty alleviation and the Millennium Development Goals”.
Agricultural Biodiversity
However, the issues that will dominate the political discussion concern the governance of agricultural biodiversity [LINK] – specifically the threat to the de facto moratorium on Terminator technology. Whilst there are a number of items that relate to agricultural biodiversity in many ecosystems including those of Islands, Marine, Drylands and Forests – such as its relationship to food and nutrition, healthy soils, pollinators, access to genetic resources for food and agriculture (including, crops, trees, livestock and fish), Farmers', Livestock Keepers', Fisherfolk and Indigenous Peoples' Rights and related issues of patents, technology transfer, incentive measures, monitoring, indicators and so on – these are mostly non-controversial. What lacks, though, is political and financial support for the implementation of agreed decisions in which small-scale food producers can set priorities and the agenda for carrying out the programmes of work in the context of the food sovereignty policy framework: the COP should defend peoples' biodiversity.
Undermining the Terminator Moratorium
But concerning the threat to the de facto moratorium on Terminator, the battle lines are drawn between a few countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand (and the USA by proxy) defending the interests of GM seed corporations and the majority of countries that wish to uphold the moratorium. The UK and the EU are wavering and may support the biotech corporations' desire to carry out field-testing of Terminator and its commercialisation.
The way in which the moratorium may be undermined is through introducing new wording that would permit testing on a “case by case risk assessment basis” .
The former Environment Minister Michael Meacher has accused the UK government of reneging on the decision he approved in 2000 and changing its policy to allow case by case assessment. See http://society.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1730692,00.html
The campaign to Ban Terminator www.banterminator.org and its UK arm www.eco-matters.org has vigorously promoted retention of the moratorium and its strengthening into a full ban. It has some 40 people accredited to the COP meeting with support from many other organisations and governments.
If the CBD stands for anything it must actively resist the pressures to undermine the moratorium and defend biodiversity and the livelihoods of those who depend on it. Terminator is putting CBD on the line.
STOP
PRESS
31 Mar
COP 8 ROLL OF HONOUR
(From ECO 10) Biggest CBD Party-poopers: Canada, Australia, New Zealand for continuously attempting to undermine the CBD across every area of the negotiations – ABS, GURTS, GM Trees… These parties were acting more at the behest of non-parties (the US, and the corporate lobby) than their populations.
Biggest threat to CBD : The decision on Private Sector Engagement, particularly point 2 encouraging national focal points to include industry representatives on national delegations to SBSTTA, COP and AHTEGs. Doesn't industry have enough influence already?
Elephants in the Room award: The drivers of biodiversity loss including consumption, perverse incentives, and the unchecked profit seeking of transnational corporations. Dear G-77: Please renew your efforts to establish a legally binding UN Code of Conduct for TNCs – corporate self-regulation has never and will never work.
Most pernicious participant: Harry Collins and Delta & Pine for lobbying hard against the de facto ban on Terminator Technology.
Most precautionary Party: Liberia for its advocacy of a GE Tree Moratorium.
Best Quote: “2b is not to be.” Malaysia on behalf of the G-77 plus China.
Most Charismatic Campaign: The Ban Terminator Campaign. Congratulations on successful efforts to retain and strengthen the moratorium on Terminator Technology!
Most Powerful moment: The Via Campesina women's candle-lit intervention in Working Group I. Delta & Pine's Harry Collins was overheard muttering “What is this?” The answer, Harry, is your worst nightmare: democracy.
Most appropriate badge colour: Grey for Industry.
Most important and effective non-party : IIFB
Best Chair : Mathew Jebb. For his fairness, humanity, proficiency and wonderfully rolling Rs (“Thank you Grrrrrenada”)
Walking the Talk award : Roberto Requião, Governor of Parana, for his fiery speeches questioning the power and influence of transnational corporations. Requiao backs his talk with strong legislation protecting the people of Parana from the health and environmental effects of GMOs.
Most patient participant: Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva for enduring 10 hours of Ministerial and intergovernmental monologues on Wednesday. Silva also gets credit for enabling the GMO labelling breakthrough at MOP. But she was perhaps too busy being nice to everyone at COP.
Most important Portuguese word we learned: Obrigada/o! Thanks to the local organizers for such a smoothly run conference. Your generosity is incredible! A special thanks to all the gracious volunteers!
Mr. Congeniality Award: Ahmed Djoghlaf for making more promises any mere mortal can possibly keep.
Most repetitive party: Japan in the late night ABS negotiations. Japan: “We bracket paragraph 7.” Malaysia: “Why?” Japan: “We bracket paragraph 7.”
Most heroic and persistent presence: Via Campesina and MST. These movements are what democracy looks like.
Most unifying non-party: USA. A recent San Francisco Chronicle article likened George W. Bush to revolutionary icon Che Guevara in his capacity to forge a united and socialist Latin America. US Delegates, who likely feel some ambivalence themselves about their country's positions at COP8 and beyond, can be proud of the international unity their country forges: ‘Nations united against the United States.'
Most purposeful walk : US delegate Leonard Hirsch. Where is he always hastily heading? We want to know!
Premature interjection award: Venezuela for jumping to speak on GURTS several items too early.
29 Mar
UK Minister Jim Knight Challenged to change UK Policy and uphold Moratorium on Terminator
Ecosoundings, The Guardian 29 March 2006
http://society.guardian.co.uk/societyguardian/story/0,,1741295,00.html
Seeds of doubt
One moment he's in Congo fighting for great apes, the next he is in India with the vultures. But this is March, so "Jungle Jim" Knight, UK environment minister, is now in Brazil saving the world's rich mosaic of life at the Convention on Biological Diversity meeting. Sadly, it's unclear whether Jim was impressed by the arguments of multinational GM companies or the tens of thousands of peasants, indigenous people and environment groups who turned up trying to make sure that a de facto moratorium remained on the development of "terminator" seeds - a class of GM technologies heavily pushed by big companies that allow plants to grow sterile seeds which cannot be replanted by farmers. The peasants won the argument - the moratorium continues. And Jim gave one of his greatest speeches, the theme of which was "the world needs to show leadership and commitment in making biological diversity a real priority". Atta Jim.
28 Mar
President Lula of Brazil, speaking at the opening of the high-level Ministerial segment of COP 8, forbids Terminator in Brazil
"... Biodiversity, the complete set of different lifeforms, is the biggest treasure of our planet. Anything that threatens it or conspires against the equitable sharing of its resources must be rejected as a threat to the survival of humanity and of the planet. This understanding has directed the Brazilian position in this conference of keeping to the spirit of COP5 in Nairobi that forbids the use of sterile seeds. Whatever threatens life or monopolizes access to its resources doesn't serve the common cause of humanity. ... "
24 Mar
Terminator rejection - a victory for the people
Curitiba Friday March 24
A broad coalition of peasant farmers, indigenous peoples and civil society today celebrate the firm rejection of efforts to undermine the global moratorium on Terminator technologies - genetically engineered sterile seeds - at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Curitiba, Brazil.
"This is a momentous day for the 1,4 billion poor people world wide, who depend on farmer saved seeds," said Francisca Rodriguez of Via Campesina a world wide movement of peasant farmers, "Terminator seeds are a weapon of mass destruction and an assault on our food sovereignty.
Terminator directly threatens our life, our culture and our identity as indigenous peoples", said Viviana Figueroa of the Ocumazo indigenous community in Argentina on behalf of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity.
"Todays' decision is a huge step forward for the Brazilian Campaign against GMOs," said Maria Rita Reis from the Brazilian Forum of Social movements and NGOs, "This reaffirms Brazils' existing ban on Terminator. It sends a clear message to the national government and congress that the world supports a ban on Terminator."
"Common sense has prevailed - lifting the Moratorium on the Terminator seeds would have been suicidal - literally," said Greenpeace International's Benedikt Haerlin from the Convention meeting. "This is a genuine victory for civil society around the world - it will go a long way to ensuring that biodiversity, food security and the livelihoods of millions of farmers around the world are protected."
Terminators, or GURTS (Genetic Use Restriction Technologies), are a class of genetic engineering technologies which allow companies to introduce seeds whose sterile offspring cannot reproduce, preventing farmers from re-planting seeds from their harvest. The seeds could also be used to introduce specific traits which would only be triggered by the application of proprietary chemicals by the same companies.
At the CBD Australia, Canada and New Zealand along with the US government (not a party to the CBD) and a number of biotech companies were leading attempts to open the door to field testing of Terminator seeds by insisting on 'case by case' assessment of such technologies. This text was unanimously rejected today in the CBD's working group dealing with the issue. It still needs to be formally adopted by the plenary of the CBD.
Despite today's victory, there is no doubt that the multinational biotech industry will continue to push sterile seed technology. 'Terminator' will rear its ugly head at the next UN CBD meeting in 2008. The only solution a total ban on the technology once and f or all," concluded Pat Mooney of the Ban Terminator Campaign. Now all national governments must enact national bans on Terminator as Brazil and India have done.
DETAILS OF THE DECISION:
This morning "friends of the chair" met to discuss the impasse on the GURTs text and came forward with the proposal to only refer to those parts of the decision that were taken from the recommended text of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and not to those recommended by the Working Group on Article 8(j), which included the "case by case" language. To be crystal clear a half sentence was introduced that further research had to be within the mandate of Decision V/5 (the initial moratorium). The text, to which no party raised objections any more reads now as follows:
DECISION ON GURTs TECHNOLOGIES, ADOPTED BY THE WORKING GROUP I TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE PLENARY
7. Reaffirms decision V/5, section III (Genetic use restriction technologies);
8. Encourages Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations, and interested stakeholders to:
(a) Respect traditional knowledge and farmers' rights to the preservation of seeds under traditional cultivation;
(b) Continue to undertake further research, WITHIN THE MANDATE OF DECISION V/5, on the impacts of genetic use restriction technologies, including their ecological, social, economic and cultural impacts, particularly on indigenous and local communities; and
(c) Continue to disseminate the results of studies on the potential environmental (e.g., risk assessment), socio-economic and cultural impacts of genetic use restriction technologies on smallholder farmers, indigenous and local communities, and make these studies available in a transparent manner through, inter alia, the clearing-house mechanism;
9. Invites the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture to examine, within the context of its work, priorities and available resources, the potential impacts of genetic use restriction technologies with special consideration to the impacts on indigenous and local communities, smallholder farmers and Farmers' Rights;
10. Notes that there is a strong demand for capacity-building and technology transfer, particularly for developing countries and countries with economies in transition, and that adequate resources need to be provided, particularly relating to the assessment of, and decision-making, on genetic use restriction technologies, including regarding cultural and socio-economic aspects, in accordance with Articles 12, 16, 17, 18 and 20 of the Convention, and supports capacity-building initiatives covering environmental, cultural and socio-economic aspects to enable Parties to make informed decisions and actions on genetic use restriction technologies with the participation of local and indigenous communities and other stakeholders; and
11. Notes that the issues related to genetic use restriction technologies should be presented in appropriate language and simplified form, in particular in order to facilitate the participation of indigenous and local communities in the development and implementation of appropriate policies and strategies.
CURITIBA EXPRESS - FINAL UPDATE ON TERMINATOR VICTORY At a short press conference I just made about the following intervention: This victory today marks the beginning of the end of Terminator technologies, not so much because of the text adopted and rejected, but because it has been won by a uniquely broad and divers coalition of peasants, farmers, social movements and environmental organisations who are supported by the vast majority of delegates, who I am sure are with us not only by vote, but also by heart - even if they can not express this to the extend they may wish, given their official role. We are proud to be a member of this coalition for the future, which will have to fight for so much more than just a ban on Terminator. All over Curitiba these days you see beautiful posters saying "biodiversity is in the people". This expresses exactly what today's victory really means. 500.000 farmers in India, 120 scientists in Italy, protesters all over the world, recently staging protest in Delhi and London in front of the New Zealand embassies, indigenous communities around the globe, environmental and consumer organisations from all continents say: Sterility will never be a valid concept to maintain and enhance biodiversity and sustainable agriculture, to feed the world and to maintain food sovereignty. And, as one argument of the industry was Terminator was needed to make GMOs safer the response is: You should never release seeds that need to be made sterile in order not to threaten the environment. We are confident that this sends a clear message to governments around the world to ban Terminator now, once and forever. Let us celebrate not only our victory today but also the broad and bright perspective our co-operation offers to a more sustainable agriculture, a better world and to the biodiversity that includes all people on this planet.. OK - there is a certain sentimental mood now here in Curitiba. Please try to push the news as far as you can and thanks for all the wonderful support on this! Cheers Benny
DETAILS OF THE DECISION:
This morning "friends of the chair" met to discuss the impasse on the GURTs text and came forward with the proposal to only refer to those parts of the decision that were taken from the recommended text of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and not to those recommended by the Working Group on Article 8(j), which included the "case by case" language. To be crystal clear a half sentence was introduced that further research had to be within the mandate of Decision V/5 (the initial moratorium).
The text, to which no party raised objections any more reads now as follows:
DECISION ON GURTs TECHNOLOGIES, ADOPTED BY THE WORKING GROUP I TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE PLENARY
7. Reaffirms decision V/5, section III (Genetic use restriction technologies);
8. Encourages Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations, and interested stakeholders to:
(a) Respect traditional knowledge and farmers' rights to the preservation of seeds under traditional cultivation;
(b) Continue to undertake further research, WITHIN THE MANDATE OF DECISION V/5, on the impacts of genetic use restriction technologies, including their ecological, social, economic and cultural impacts, particularly on indigenous and local communities; and
(c) Continue to disseminate the results of studies on the potential environmental (e.g., risk assessment), socio-economic and cultural impacts of genetic use restriction technologies on smallholder farmers, indigenous and local communities, and make these studies available in a transparent manner through, inter alia, the clearing-house mechanism;
9. Invites the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture to examine, within the context of its work, priorities and available resources, the potential impacts of genetic use restriction technologies with special consideration to the impacts on indigenous and local communities, smallholder farmers and Farmers' Rights;
10. Notes that there is a strong demand for capacity-building and technology transfer, particularly for developing countries and countries with economies in transition, and that adequate resources need to be provided, particularly relating to the assessment of, and decision-making, on genetic use restriction technologies, including regarding cultural and socio-economic aspects, in accordance with Articles 12, 16, 17, 18 and 20 of the Convention, and supports capacity-building initiatives covering environmental, cultural and socio-economic aspects to enable Parties to make informed decisions and actions on genetic use restriction technologies with the participation of local and indigenous communities and other stakeholders; and
11. Notes that the issues related to genetic use restriction technologies should be presented in appropriate language and simplified form, in particular in order to facilitate the participation of indigenous and local communities in the development and implementation of appropriate policies and strategies.
CURITIBA EXPRESS - FINAL UPDATE ON TERMINATOR VICTORY
At a short press conference Benny Haerlin, Greenpeace, made the following intervention:
This victory today marks the beginning of the end of Terminator technologies, not so much because of the text adopted and rejected, but because it has been won by a uniquely broad and divers coalition of peasants, farmers, social movements and environmental organisations who are supported by the vast majority of delegates, who I am sure are with us not only by vote, but also by heart - even if they can not express this to the extend they may wish, given their official role. We are proud to be a member of this coalition for the future, which will have to fight for so much more than just a ban on Terminator. All over Curitiba these days you see beautiful posters saying "biodiversity is in the people". This expresses exactly what today's victory really means. 500.000 farmers in India, 120 scientists in Italy, protesters all over the world, recently staging protest in Delhi and London in front of the New Zealand embassies, indigenous communities around the globe, environmental and consumer organisations from all continents say: Sterility will never be a valid concept to maintain and enhance biodiversity and sustainable agriculture, to feed the world and to maintain food sovereignty. And, as one argument of the industry was Terminator was needed to make GMOs safer the response is: You should never release seeds that need to be made sterile in order not to threaten the environment. We are confident that this sends a clear message to governments around the world to ban Terminator now, once and forever. Let us celebrate not only our victory today but also the broad and bright perspective our co-operation offers to a more sustainable agriculture, a better world and to the biodiversity that includes all people on this planet..
23 Mar
2B is NOT to be
In the discussion on GURTs this afternoon, there were
strong statements from Argentina, Malaysia on behalf of G77 and Norway - all
calling for deletion of Clause 2b of the Draft Decision, agreed in Granada that would approve case by case assessments, but also calling for the reaffirmation of Decision V/5 para 23 etc. etc.
G77 called for deletion of 2B ...
Gudural from Malaysia said, in short,
" Chair, 2b is not to be"
- loud applause!
20 Mar
Governor of Parana, Robert Requario, slams Terminator
The Governor of Parana, Robert Requario wearing a Ban Terminator sticker, set the tone of COP 8 with a blistering speech to the thousands participants attacking Terminator. In his speech he called Terminator "the next step in the transnational seed Industry's strategy to control the production and commercial use of seeds, after having tried to contaminate the entire world with transgenic seeds' He quoted Uruguayan activist Silvia Ribeiro (of ETC Group) saying "Producing this type of seeds is immoral, because seeds are life. We are not talking about Science, but about a tradition that is thousands of years old. To sterilize seeds is to offer death to farmers."
UK challenged to revise current policy and support de facto moratorium on Terminator
<http://society.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1730692,00.html>
Defra is sowing the seeds of poor farmers' destruction
Michael Meacher
Wednesday March 15, 2006
The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk>
The claim by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) that it has not altered its policy on genetically modified terminator technology - used to sterilise farm-saved seeds, thereby protecting corporate seed sales - does not stand up to serious scrutiny. The Defra policy, published on February 21 in advance of the meeting later this month of the eighth conference of the parties to the UN convention on biodiversity (CBD), calls for a case-by-case assessment of terminator crops. It differs significantly from what I approved in 2000.
I could see the need for a global agreement on how to prevent the release of terminator. The parties to the CBD agreed with me and decided that terminator technology, a varietal-genetic use restriction technology (v-GURT), posed a greater threat than any other type of GM seeds because it would undermine farmers' seed saving - as practised by 1.4 billion people worldwide - and would threaten food security and agricultural biodiversity. Using this technology would force more farmers to buy new seed each season from corporations whose control over seeds is already substantial - just 10 corporations control more than 50% of global seed sales.
The result was the global de facto moratorium agreed by the CBD.
This decision, in 2000, stated that no terminator licences should be approved until the potential socio-economic impact of the technology on farming communities around the world had been assessed. To date, no such assessments have been published.
So what is the basis of the change in UK policy? Could it be Defra has swallowed the corporate hype that terminator will prevent GM genes contaminating neighbouring crops or wild plants. This is nonsense because terminator cannot provide 100% sterility, nor prevent normal cross-contamination through pollen drift. In any case, that is not its purpose; it is to make the seeds agronomically unviable in order to ensure seed sales.
Defra's published policy has retroactively reinterpreted the CBD decision in favour of a national case-by-case approach, which is EU policy for any GMO approval. Terminator crops would thus be subject only to a scientific risk assessment, as required by EU directive 2001/18. Socio-economic factors, such as the impact on poor farmers' livelihoods, would be ignored. Without internationally accepted assessments of impacts, and globally-binding rules, poor southern countries would struggle to withstand pressure from biotechnology companies to license terminator seeds. Is this Defra's ulterior motive?
The policy as now stated by Defra undermines the international agreement signed in 2000, by opening up the possibility of terminator creeping on to the market by stealth. Ministers and officials must review their document, making it clear that the UK is not in favour of terminator at all.
There can be no doubt that public opinion in Britain remains overwhelmingly against GM, and would be even more strongly against allowing use of the terminator technology if it was understood that this would endanger food security across all developing countries and would worsen world poverty.
Defra has a duty to do whatever is necessary at the CBD meeting to ensure this potentially devastating technology never sees the light of day.
· Michael Meacher MP is a former UK environment minister
Fisherfolk urge recognition of their rights
in order to sustain coastal and marine biodiversityThere are over 200 million people worldwide
who depend on inland and marine fisheries and fish farming for a livelihood.
Most of them are in the artisanal and small-scale sector in the tropical
multi-species fisheries of the developing world, and are among the poorest and
most vulnerable sections of society.
As "beacons of the sea", coastal
fishing communities have taken up resource management initiatives to nurture
and rejuvenate their ecosystems. They can thus become powerful allies in the
efforts to conserve, restore and protect coastal and marine biodiversity.
17 non-governmental and fishworker
organizations urged the Seventh Conference of Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) to recognize, protect and strengthen the rights of
coastal fishing communities to access and use coastal and marine biodiversity
in a responsible manner, to pursue sustainable livelihoods, and to participate
in decision-making and resource management processes at all levels.
They also pointed to the environmental
sustainability of the traditional fishing gear used in artisanal and
small-scale fisheries and noted that traditional ecological knowledge systems
(TEKS) have contributed to sustain both the livelihoods of communities and the
integrity of ecosystems.
The CBD should
recognize the preferential rights of coastal fishing communities to use and
access coastal and marine resources to pursue their livelihoods. Protecting and
supporting sustainable livelihoods in the artisanal and small-scale fisheries
sector would also help achieve international commitments on poverty alleviation
outlined in the Millennium Development Goals.
ECO @ COP*
CSO daily newsletter
 ECO 1 20 Mar CBD: Is it for real? / A CDB – É para valer?; MOP 3 Outcomes; Participation (Not), Consent (Not); Greenpeace Speaks!
ECO 2 21 Mar Terminator; Deep Sea; Women’s Statement; COP notes
ECO 3 22 Mar The World is Watching; Protected Areas in 2050?; CBD's Culture of Participation; COP Notes
ECO 4 23 Mar India's lacking biodiversity plan; Terminate Terminator; Livestock Keepers Rights; COP Notes
ECO 5 24 Mar NAELMMMD; Incentives + Islands; Financing + Can we really trust the private sector?; Notes from the COP + Australia wins!
ECO 6 27 Mar Will the CBD Act?; GE Trees + Perverse Incentives; IFC Greenwash; C O P Notes; ***Captain Hook Awards – pg. 4!
ECO 7 28 Mar The Politics of GEF; Syngenta Occupation; A…..BS; COP Notes
ECO 8 29 Mar Industry + UN; ND Bracket + Ag Biodiv; More a…BS; COP Notes
ECO 9 30 Mar Greenwash 2. Subsidies + 8j 3. MONOcultures 4. C O P Notes
ECO 10 31 Mar COP 8 HONOUR ROLL; ABS Negotiations Have…..Started!!!; Towards COP 9; Notes from the COP
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