Minister of Environment Guro Fjellanger

Opening speech at the Norway/UN Conference on Sustainable Use of Biodiversity

Trondheim 06.09.99

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure for me, on the behalf of the Norwegian Government, to welcome you all to the Third Expert Conference on Biodiversity in Trondheim. This year's conference has been organized in cooperation with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other key international organisations central to biodiversity management. The Conference is a joint venture between four Norwegian Ministries:
Environment, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Foreign Affairs. The Directorate for Nature Management has been given the organisational responsibility for the Conference.

The basic idea behind the Trondheim Conferences is to put emphasis on the best available knowledge in implementing the Convention on Biodiversity. In this regard it is necessary to bear in mind the three objectives of the Convention and its multidimensional nature, which is our principal global instrument for promoting sustainable interaction between human society and the biosphere. The challenge of good biodiversity management as complex as life itself, is central to the vision of sustainable development as set out by the Brundland Commission in 1987. Fulfilling this commitment is an exceedingly difficult undertaking, not least because our knowledge and understanding of the ways in which the biosphere functions are so patchy and limited.

This inadequacy of our current understanding of the key roles and functions of biodiversity is a serious shortcoming and must be considered to be an underlying cause of biodiversity loss. Clearly, learning more about how biodiversity works and how it interactions with the human species is therefore one of our highest priorities. However, at the same time we must resist the temptation to use this state of relative ignorance as a "sleeping pillow", as we say in Norwegian -an excuse for postponing action. We certainly know more than enough already to improve the ways in which we manage the biological resources of the planet. Indeed, I am confident that the lectures this coming week will show that this is the case.

We need to make sure that policymakers use the best and most up-to-date knowledge at hand. We also need to make sure that scientists have a clear picture of the most pressing policy issues. Biologists must be inspired to address these issues and to co-operate with scientists from other disciplines. So, in short: - we need to improve the dialogue between the politicians, policymakers and the scientists. This is another of the basic ideas underlying the Trondheim Conferences. It is also the reason that Norway believes it is of the utmost importance to establish a scientific assessment mechanism under the Biodiversity Convention. We are pleased to see that the Convention now is moving in this direction. We must never forget that knowledge is a cornerstone of environmental policies.

The need to know what kind of actions and measures that are most effective is of vital importance to all decision-makers. This is the reason why Norway is one of the sponsors and participants in a pilot project co-ordinated by the World Conservation Monitoring Center on the state of national implementation of the Biodiversity Convention. In the process, we must never lose sight of the aims of the Convention itself - and here I quote from the original, deceptively simple, text: ... conserving the biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefit arising out of the utilization of genetic resources".

The Global Biodiversity Assessment, issued by UNEP in 1995, stated that "the adverse effects of human impacts on biodiversity are increasing dramatically and threatening the very foundation of sustainable development". Countering this global trend is one of the fundamental challenges of our time.

At this year's Trondheim conference on biodiversity we have chosen to focus on the second objective of the CBD: namely, sustainable use. We also believe that our deliberations should be guided by the ideas contained in the "ecosystem approach", as outlined in the "Malawi principles” that will be presented later today. If we are going to improve our understanding of these principles, and translate them into management practices in the real world, it will be thanks to some of the world's leading experts on biodiversity science and management who have gathered here this week. 1 would like to express my sincere gratitude to all concerned.

World wide, we are all familiar with serious problems caused by unsustainable use of nature. Over-fishing and degradation of forests are just two examples. Our ability - and tendency - to exploit our natural resources is expanding, as of course are population and consumption. At the same time all of our consumption patterns are increasingly westernised. Even in a small, rich, and fairly straightforward society like Norway, we are losing biodiversity: 103 species of plants and animals have gone extinct in the last 150 years. Almost 300 more are now threatened, and may well disappear over the next five to ten years.

To achieve sustainability in both direct and indirect use of biological resources is a crucial goal for all of us. All relevant political and economic sectors must be involved in the implementation of the CBD. To arrive at well-founded and acceptable compromises between conservation and consumption, while maintaining biodiversity, is never easy. Sound knowledge is required of cultural no less than natural systems. Mankind depends on biodiversity for food, fuel building materials, medicines and so much else. We cannot entirely stop exploiting the resources and riches of nature.

The various economic sectors have their own legitimate objectives and responsibilities in the provision of goods and services to society. They must, however, take the interest of biodiversity into consideration when meeting society's needs. We have to face the challenge of safeguarding different and sometimes conflicting needs regarding biodiversity . The values of biodiversity are often difficult to identify or explain, particularly as may be perceived differently from culture to culture. All too often we tend to overlook the importance of biodiversity in the functioning of ecosystems. We take many of natures ecosystem services for granted, forgetting - if we ever knew - that these services may be dependent on key biodiversity elements. These are all issues and questions which I am confident will be addressed in your deliberations this week.

But, - identifying and defining the structures, functions and values is not enough. We also need to know how to protect them, and how to strike an acceptable balance. We need to know how to put in place management regimes and practices that can ensure sustainability for diversity. 1 shall not try to pre-empt your discussions this week. But I would like to emphasise one of the basic ideas in the Biodiversity Convention; that each sector of society should take full responsibility for biodiversity in accordance with the measures at its disposal. Although this obligation is felt mainly at the national level, the same way of thinking should be applied internationally, for example in trade policies. This is certainly a fundamental principle for my government. Agriculture, forestry and fisheries are, as you know, key sectors in determining whether sustainable use of biological resources will be achievable. The impact on the environment of the goods and services provided by these primary industries must not be negative. Productivity and nutrient cycles. and our opportunities to benefit from the passive values associated with biological diversity, must be secured. 1 am quite proud to stand here today with my colleague, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Gjønnes, and from the Ministry of Fisheries, the Secretary of State, Mr. Nakken. But not withstanding that each of us is more than willing - even eager - to take full responsibility for our own areas jurisdiction … this is still not enough.

The biodiversity crisis is an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral challenge like so many of todays challenges. These kinds of challenges can only be met by a coherent and interministerial approach. National authorities need to establish co-ordinated policies and action. Such co-ordinated action must also be communicated to local authorities, industry and consumers.

Here I would like to sum the need for local understanding and participation. Unless the people most dependent for their living on the use of biodiversity are with us in our endeavour, we will fail. We must encourage a feeling of stewardship at the local level if we are to be successful in our national work. And if we can communicate the message that there is something in it for them, local communities and people will be crucial partners in the achievement of sustainability in the use of biodiversity.

The obligation under the Convention to prepare national biodiversity action plans should reflect these imperatives. Norway is now in the midst of preparing a second-generation action plan on biodiversity incorporating proposals put forward by eleven different ministries and their constituencies in various sectors. Of course, we have all learned the hard way that it is one thing to put forward a plan - and quite another thing to remember where you actually put it! But this is not what we expect from the current plan. We see it as a tool for co-ordinated policy-making, for identifying - and achieving - priorities at the turn of the Millennium.

I am confident that our understanding of biodiversity will progress as we enter the new "century of biology". The need to know will become increasingly urgent, especially in the life sciences such as gene-technology. Population pressure, consumer demand and the pace of technological development are driving forces here. And we may expect public awareness of our interdependence on well functioning life systems on earth to rise accordingly. The sustainability of the actions we take today will be judged by future generations in the light of this heightened environmental awareness.

It is my hope that the lectures and discussions which we are all looking forward to during the next few days will make significant contributions to our work under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and to the all-important Conference of the Parties next year in Nairobi. But remember - you can go straight to work integrating any new idea or piece of information into national policy as soon as you return home next weekend. I wish you all a rewarding stay in Norway and a successful conference.

I hereby declare this conference opened and give the floor to the conference chairman, Peter Johan Schei who will guide you through the week.