Conserving Plant And Animal Species Is Not A Luxury, Migiro Warns
New York, May 30 2008 10:00AM
Protecting the world’s many species of plants and animals from extinction should not be considered a luxury option,
Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro has told a gathering of female environment ministers, urging them to take the
lead in efforts to maintain fragile ecosystems.
In a <" http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2008/dsgsm396.doc.htm">video message yesterday to female ministers attending the high-level segment of the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Bonn, Germany, Ms. Migiro said they were meeting at a critical time, when
many species of plants and animals were faced with extinction.
“Conserving biodiversity is not a luxury,” she said. “All of us – particularly the poor – depend on the ability of the
world’s ecosystems to provide the full spectrum of goods and services essential to our survival. This requires us to
conserve and manage biodiversity in a sustainable manner.”
Ms. Migiro added that women have a special role to play in protecting biodiversity. “They possess knowledge, practices
and a capacity for innovation acquired over centuries. They are at the forefront of protecting life on Earth, and the
key to achieving the 2010 biodiversity target to reduce or reverse biodiversity loss.”
Ends