Openingstoespraak van minister Alexander De Croo tijdens het colloqu..
Datum: 26 november 2015
Openingstoespraak van vicepremier en minister van Ontwikkelingssamenwerking Alexander De Croo tijdens het colloquium `Biodiversiteit en ontwikkeling - Erfgoed of wereldschaal' van CEBios ('Capacities for Biodiversity and Sustainable Development' Programme), 26 november 2015
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my privilege and honor to open this Colloquium "Biodiversity and Development, a global heritage".
Biodiversity is indeed a global heritage and the link between biodiversity and development is widely recognized, as attested in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in New York last September.
The Millennium Goals have given way to Sustainable Development Goals. The main ambition of the SDGs is to end extreme poverty by 2030. That is only fifteen years from now, or half a generation. That is a very short period of time and the challenge is huge. But allow me to be optimistic and
look at the opportunities.
For the first time, the international agenda is tailored to the needs of today's complex, multipolar world. The SDGs are clearly much broader and more inclusive than the Millennium Development Goals. They don't oppose the North and the South, they are valid for everybody, they address all
aspects of society and break out of the classical development discussion on governmental versus non-governmental cooperation.
In this new Agenda, all countries and all stakeholders have to act in a collaborative partnership. And biodiversity and ecosystems rank high. They are particularly reflected in SDG 14 on marine biodiversity and SDG 15 on terrestrial biodiversity.
Moreover, biodiversity, ecosystems and natural resources are integrated in many other goals as well. Think of food security, water and sanitation, cities and human settlements. That should not really come as a surprise biodiversity is a metaphor for life and life is everywhere!
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for addressing the environment and development together, not separately. They are two sides of the same coin. Belgium fully recognizes this and has organized, during the Post-2015 Summit in New York that adopted the 2030 Agenda, a specific side
event on the specific environmental challenges LDC's are facing in implementing this 2030 Agenda.
Poor people in the least developed countries (LDCs) are disproportionately dependent on ecosystem services for their basic livelihood. Unfortunately, recent OECD reports show a dramatic decrease of Official Development Aid to the Least Developed Countries.
During the UN Conference on Financing for Development' in Addis Ababa in July 2015, Belgium made a very clear statement on this point: half of the development aid should go to the least developed countries and fragile states. Belgium refuses to leave those people behind!
These are the world's most vulnerable people, they have almost no access to other financial sources for their development, and they are the most dependent on ecosystem services for their survival. Without the water, food, medicinal plants and wood they find in their local environment, they
cannot live. For these people reality is harsh: when natural resources are degraded, they often have no other choice but to flee their homes.
Illicit trafficking in wildlife can further worsen their situation. Illicit trafficking not only poses an acute threat for endangered species, but it also has local implications on health, security and economic stability.
In addition, illicit trafficking is creating even more regional instability since it is an important source of income for criminal organizations, armed groups and terrorists. Therefore, Belgium has been actively involved in the fight against wildlife trafficking, which led to a UN resolution
last July (resolution A / 69 / L.80.)
No-one can ignore the current refugee crisis and Belgium wants to address the root causes of migration flows. People are fleeing their homes because of armed conflict, but also because of competition for scarce resources.
The links between migration, armed conflict, natural resources, including disappearing biodiversity, and climate change are complex, because cause-effect relationships are both direct and indirect at different levels. Biodiversity and climate do not stop at the borders and are intricately
linked.
In this context, a stable inclusive growth has an important long-term preventive role. It can simultaneously stimulate the local economy, help ease local tensions and conflict, and contribute to long-term stability and prosperity.
Efforts to eradicate poverty should be part of this holistic approach respecting biodiversity and the environment. Since sustainable development is precisely development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
In other words, talking about sustainable development and not respecting biodiversity is nonsense and will further intensify potential tensions. Therefore, short-term destruction of natural assets for quick profit should give way to long-term inclusive growth.
We will only succeed if we find new ways to encourage people to manage their natural resources in a sustainable way. Smart economic incentives and good governance in terms of law enforcement are urgently needed. Both bottom-up and top-down approaches are necessary. Governments of developing
countries have an important role as facilitator and safeguard, integrating biodiversity in different line ministries and in the Official Development Assistance.
However, conservation is not only the responsibility of governments, but of each and every individual and group in society. Participative dialogues involving local communities, authorities and all stakeholders are equally important.
All economic players have a huge responsibility towards our planet. Biodiversity has always been a valuable capital and we need to preserve it for the benefit of all!
I strongly believe corporate responsibility creates real opportunities for green growth. The presence in this symposium of the Belgian platform 'The Shift' shows how the private sector can take steps towards a more sustainable economy.
More and more, the mining and forestry sectors are involved in voluntary agreements and certification schemes for practices that contribute to the preservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Also the pharmaceutical sector has always been interested in medicinal biodiversity. It represents a big source of profit and it has real economic potential for local people. On the condition, of course, that these natural products that could lead to the development of new drugs are preserved
and that local populations get their share of any future benefit.
It is a long road, but with the active involvement of the private sector we will realize this transition to a sustainable economy.
We will have to tap in to the promising possibilities of the digital revolution and put new, innovative technologies at work for modern nature conservation. Satellite imagery, drones, camera traps, remote sensing and so on.
We will have to integrate digital data systems creating access to a whole new field of aggregated data about fragile ecosystems and species, land use, jurisdiction, policy, weather, hydrological regimes and so on. The digital revolution is impacting, is disrupting every sector of society and
will also help biodiversity and development.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Respecting biodiversity is important but will not be enough. If we want to maintain this precious natural capital we need to better understand it in order to protect and restore it.
If we want to transform our world and make it a better place, we have to grasp its complexity.
An ecosystem approach helps to "integrate all dimensions of environment, and seek synergies between biodiversity and ecosystem services, poverty reduction and other development goals, as well as climate change".
This is exactly the approach the Belgian Development Cooperation has chosen for its environmental strategy - and it is being recognized. The recent OECD - DAC peer review stated that "Belgium is one of the DAC members to have effectively integrated biodiversity into development co-operation".
This appreciation would not have been possible without the excellent policy support provided by the CEBioS program in close collaboration with KLIMOS platform, ACROPOLIS, the universities and scientific institutions and my administration together with our Embassies.
Close partnerships are indeed needed to effectively bridge the gap between science and policy and to allow the science-based policy-making Belgium is aiming at.
Belgian scientific institutes like the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, the Royal Museum for Central Africa or Botanic Garden Meise offer an broad expertise on biodiversity that is much appreciated and requested in Africa but also in the rest of the world -- a clear added value to
development, even more so when they all work together.
Capacity building is essential for development and poverty reduction. Biodiversity will only be preserved if the local people understand how important ecosystems are for them and if they appreciate the present and future benefit those could provide (for example eco-tourism, pollination). In
coordination with other stakeholders, the CEBioS program largely contributes to this by awareness rising and capacity building as it strengthens scientific knowledge and technological skills through trainings, workshops, joint research programs and scholarships.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
New technologies and scientific knowledge, combined with traditional knowledge can help the poorest people on earth to manage their natural resources in a sustainable way. The challenge is to bridge two worlds that seem so far apart.
To succeed, collaboration is key. While the scientific world plays a major role, my wish is that the private sector joins efforts. There are many new opportunities to seize that could lead to a win-win situation. Let this symposium be a catalyst for change and innovation. Because, as Steve
Jobs said, "Innovation is the only way to win."
I thank you.