A Formal Appeal to President Obama and Members of the US Senate
- Please Help America Finally Ratify the UN Convention on Biological Diversity -
October 11, 2010
Dear President Obama and respected members of the United States Senate,
Whereas biodiversity signifies the entire web of life, embracing all species and ecosystems on the planet, and its health is now endangered to such a degree that scientists now call our era the Sixth Great Extinction Event in the history of the world;
Whereas the current extinction rate is more than 1,000 times higher than the average rate over the past 60 million years and nearly 17,000 of the world's 45,000 assessed species are now facing imminent demise;
Whereas vulnerable subsets of biodiversity are vital to modern medical and agronomic research as well as the diet and livelihood of tens of millions of the poor in the developing world;
Whereas in recognition of this crisis, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was born out of the 1992 Rio Summit to help protect all life on Earth and now has 193 national signatories;
Whereas the only non-signatory states today are Andorra, the Vatican and the United States;
Whereas the collapse of the '09 Copenhagen COP15 climate negotiations poses a further threat to biodiversity as global warming is becoming the most dangerous cause of extinction on the planet;
Whereas the disappointing March '10 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in Doha, Qatar also failed to protect critically vulnerable species;
Whereas these successive malfunctions of key UN environmental conferences have increased the biodiversity emergency and demonstrated the need for stronger global commitment, cooperation and leadership to which the United States could greatly contribute;
Whereas the United States routinely sends a substantial observer delegation to all CBD COP meetings now, there would be little added expense to attend these conferences as an officially recognized voting party
Whereas President Obama launched the America's Great Outdoors initiative on April 17, 2010 in recognition of the myriad environmental challenges now facing humanity and the biosphere
Whereas President Obama has greatly increased international respect for the United States with his emphasis on multilateral approaches to global challenges and his pledge that America is prepared to play an active and positive role in all future multiparty problem-solving;
Whereas US CBD ratification would send a powerful and encouraging message to the world that the American people also recognize the ecological crises we now face and are prepared to work with international community to help resolve them;
Whereas US President Bill Clinton already signed the Convention on Biological Diversity on June 4, 1993, and all that remains is ratification by the US Senate;
Whereas there now seems to be little substantial controversy surrounding the terms or goals of this critical treaty, its ratification seems assured of strong bipartisan support as an internationally important environmental achievement.
__________________
We, the Japan Civil Network for the Convention on Biological Diversity, on behalf of our nationwide membership therefore respectfully urge the Obama administration and current members of the US Senate to swiftly seize this opportunity and ratify the CBD.
__________________
[This appeal was unanimously approved and adopted by the full Steering Committee of the
Japan Civil Network for the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya and Tokyo, Japan.]
Reference contacts
Co-chair TAKAYAMA Susumu
Co-chair YOSHIDA Masahito
About the Signatories
The Japan Civil Network for the Convention on Biological Diversity is the official government recognized Japanese civil society coalition for the United Nations' 10th Conference of Parties to the CBD in Nagoya this October. It comprises over 100 organizations representing several hundred thousand members in total and includes among others the following:
Japan Forum for Biodiversity
Japan Wetlands Action Network
Nature Conservation Society of Japan
OISCA International
Earthwatch Institute (Japan)
Global Environmental Forum
Citizens Environmental Foundation Tokai
World Wildlife Fund Japan
Wild Bird Society of Japan
Japan Field Biologists Network for
Environmental Studies
Fujimae Ramsar Society
Friends of the Earth Japan
Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation
Conservation International
Good News Japan (GNJ)
Wildlife Management Office, Inc (WMO）
Aichi Environmental Counselors Association
Greenpeace Japan
Conference of Aichi Nature Instructors
Okinawa Citizens' Network for Biodiversity
Save the Dugong Campaign Center (SDCC)
Wild Bird Society of Japan, Tokushima
Environmental Partnership Council (EPC)
Seikatsu Club Consumers Cooperative Union
Association for Nature Restoration & Conservation
Nagoya NGO Center
Japan Education for Sustainable Development
Council
Shikoku Network for Biological Diversity
Conservation
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
Japan Environmental Action Network
Yakushima Biodiversity Conservation Conference
Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund
ASEED JAPAN
Japan Wildlife Conservation Society
Kiko (Climate) Network
Network of People & Seeds for the Future
Biodiversity Information Center
Nakatsu Waterfront Conservation Association
Japan Family Farmers Movement
Japan Network for the Environment &
Pollution Prevention
Japan Butterfly Conservation Society
Ecosystem Conservation Society-Japan (ECO-J)
Biodiversity Network Japan
Association of Tsukinowa
Dolphin & Whale Action Network (IKAN）
Harinko Network
Community-Based Development Initiatives Center
NPO Omotehama Network
Civil Organization against the Shitara Dam
NO! GMO Campaign
Everyday Is Earthday
Atochiba-Net
Nissin Nature Observation Club
Yamazakigawa Greenmap
RCE Chubu
Ise-Mikawa Bioregions Network
Nature Conservation Society of Tokyo
Nagoya Higashiyama
Amita Institute for Sustainable Economies
Coral Network
International Center for Environmental
Management of Coastal Seas
Wildlife Community Institute
Earthvillage Network
No-GM Association Aichi
Kusunokishizenkan
Isumigunsi Nature Preservation Association
CSO Peace Seed
All Life in a Viable Environment (ALIVE)
Forest Meditation Association
Aisis Japan (NPO Volunteer Group)
Earthday Toyama
Japan Sustainability Academy
Forest and Village Foundation
Kenju no Kai
Moriyama Japanese Squirrel Conservation Society
Chunichi Newspapers
Green TV Japan
| Next > |
|---|
