III. Recommendation of the Second Committee

9. The Second Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution:
Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its contribution to sustainable development

The General Assembly,

6. Urges the parties to the Convention to facilitate the transfer of technology for the effective implementation of the Convention in accordance with its provisions, in this regard takes note of the strategy for the practical implementation of the programme of work on technology transfer and scientific and technical cooperation developed by the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Technology Transfer and Scientific and Technological Cooperation, as well as of decision XI/2, entitled “Review of progress in implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans and related capacity-building support to parties”, and also takes note of the relevant decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its twelfth meeting in this regard;

8. Urges parties to promote the mainstreaming of gender considerations, taking into account the 2015-2020 Gender Plan of Action under the Convention on Biological Diversity, in developing, implementing and revising their national and, where appropriate, regional biodiversity strategies and action plans and equivalent instruments in implementing the three objectives of the Convention;

9. Calls upon Governments and all stakeholders to take appropriate measures to mainstream consideration of the socioeconomic impacts and benefits of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and its components, as well as ecosystems that provide essential services, into relevant programmes and policies at all levels, in accordance with national legislation, circumstances and priorities;

13. Invites countries that have not yet done so to ratify or accede to the Convention;

14. Invites parties to the Convention to ratify or accede to the Nagoya Protocol, and invites the Executive Secretary and the Global Environment Facility, within its mandate as the financial mechanism of the Convention, in collaboration with relevant organizations, to continue to support capacity-building and development activities to support the ratification and implementation of the Protocol;

15. Also invites parties to the Convention to consider, as appropriate, ratifying or acceding to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity;

16. Invites parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to consider, as appropriate, ratifying or acceding to the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety;

22. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-first session a report on the implementation of the present resolution, including progress in the implementation of the Convention and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and on difficulties encountered in the process of their implementation, and decides to include under the item entitled “Sustainable development”, the sub-item entitled “Convention on Biological Diversity” in the provisional agenda of its seventy-first session, unless otherwise agreed in the discussions on the revitalization of the Second Committee.

III. Recommendation of the Second Committee

8. The Second Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution:

Harmony with Nature

The General Assembly,

2. Decides to initiate, in 2016, a virtual dialogue on Harmony with Nature among, inter alia, experts on Earth jurisprudence worldwide, including those who have been active in the interactive dialogues of the General Assembly, in order to inspire citizens and societies to reconsider how they interact with the natural world in order to implement the Sustainable Development Goals in harmony with nature, noting that some countries recognize the rights of nature in the context of the promotion of sustainable development, and requests that the experts submit a summary to the General Assembly at its seventy-first session, and that the virtual dialogue be hosted at the website on Harmony with Nature;

3. Also decides to continue observing International Mother Earth Day annually on 22 April, requests the Secretary-General to provide continuing support, and encourages Member States to observe the International Day at the national level;

4. Invites Member States to consider existing studies and reports on Harmony with Nature, including the follow-up to the discussions at the interactive dialogues of the General Assembly, such as the dialogue held on 27 April 2015 on
the promotion of the balanced integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development through Harmony with Nature;

5. Decides to put on hold the issue of the timing of an inclusive and interactive dialogue of the General Assembly on Harmony with Nature, pending the discussions on the revitalization of the Second Committee;

9. Invites States:

(a) To further build up a knowledge network in order to advance a holistic conceptualization of sustainable development in its three dimensions to identify different economic approaches that reflect the drivers and values of living in harmony with nature, relying on current scientific information to achieve sustainable development, and to facilitate the support and recognition of the fundamental interconnections between humanity and nature;

(b) To promote harmony with the Earth, as found in indigenous cultures, to learn from those cultures and to provide support for and promote efforts being made from the national level down to the local community level to reflect the protection of nature;

12. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-first session, under the item entitled “Sustainable development”, the sub-item entitled “Harmony with Nature”, unless otherwise agreed in the discussions on the revitalization of the Second Committee.

Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

15.1 By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements
15.2 By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation,
restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
15.3 By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification,
drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world
15.4 By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development
15.5 Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity
and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species
15.6 Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote
appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed
15.7 Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products
15.8 By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien
species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species
15.9 By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes,
poverty reduction strategies and accounts
15.a Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems
15.b Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and
provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation
and reforestation
15.c Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by
increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities

89. We agree to promote international cooperation and partnerships, as appropriate, and information exchange, and in this context we welcome the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, 2011-2020, for the purpose of encouraging the active involvement of all stakeholders in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, as well as their access to and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, with the vision of living in harmony with nature.

90. We recognize that, overall, small island developing States have extraordinary marine and terrestrial biodiversity that in many cases is fundamental to their livelihoods and identity. Noting that this valuable biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides are at grave risk, we strongly support the efforts of small island developing States:

(a) To conserve biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources;

(b) To export organic, natural, sustainably produced and locally grown products;

(c) To access financial and technical resources for the conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity.

91. We invite parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity[29] to consider ratifying and implementing the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity, while acknowledging that having access to and sharing the benefits of genetic resources contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, poverty eradication and sustainable development.

17. Protecting our ecosystems for all. All of our actions need to be underpinned by our strong commitment to protect and preserve our planet and natural resources, our biodiversity and our climate. We commit to coherent policy, financing, trade and technology frameworks to protect, manage and restore our ecosystems, including marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and to promote their sustainable use, build resilience, reduce pollution and combat climate change, desertification and land degradation. We recognize the importance of avoiding harmful activities. Governments, businesses and households will all need to change behaviours, with a view to ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. We will promote corporate sustainability, including reporting on environmental, social and governance impacts, to help to ensure transparency and accountability. Public and private investments in innovations and clean technologies will be needed, while keeping in mind that new technologies will not substitute for efforts to reduce waste or efficiently use natural resources.

197. We reaffirm the intrinsic value of biological diversity, as well as the ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic values of biological diversity and its critical role in maintaining ecosystems that provide essential services, which are critical foundations for sustainable development and human well-being. We recognize the severity of the global loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystems and emphasize that these undermine global development, affecting food security and nutrition, the provision of and access to water and the health of the rural poor and of people worldwide, including present and future generations. This highlights the importance of the conservation of biodiversity, enhancing habitat connectivity and building ecosystem resilience. We recognize that the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous peoples and local communities make an important contribution to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and their wider application can support social well-being and sustainable livelihoods. We further recognize that indigenous peoples and local communities are often the most directly dependent on biodiversity and ecosystems and thus are often the most immediately affected by their loss and degradation.

198. We reiterate our commitment to the achievement of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity and call for urgent actions that effectively reduce the rate of, halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity. In this context, we affirm the importance of implementing the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention at its tenth meeting.

199. We note the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and we invite parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to ratify or accede to the Protocol, so as to ensure its entry into force at the earliest possible opportunity. We acknowledge the role of access and benefit-sharing arising from the utilization of genetic resources in contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, poverty eradication and environmental sustainability.

200. We welcome the strategy for resource mobilization in support of the achievement of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, including the commitment to substantially increasing resources from all sources in support of biodiversity, in accordance with decisions taken at the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting.

201. We support mainstreaming the consideration of the socioeconomic impacts and benefits of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and its components, as well as ecosystems that provide essential services, into relevant programmes and policies at all levels, in accordance with national legislation, circumstances and priorities. We encourage investments, through appropriate incentives and policies, which support the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and restoration of degraded ecosystems, consistent and in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant international obligations.

202. We agree to promote international cooperation and partnerships, as appropriate, and information exchange, and in this context we welcome the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, 2011-2020, for the purpose of encouraging active involvement of all stakeholders in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, as well as access to and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, with the vision of living in harmony with nature.

203. We recognize the important role of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement that stands at the intersection between trade, the environment and development, promotes the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, should contribute to tangible benefits for local people, and ensures that no species entering into international trade is threatened with extinction. We recognize the economic, social and environmental impacts of illicit trafficking in wildlife, where firm and strengthened action needs to be taken on both the supply and demand sides. In this regard, we emphasize the importance of effective international cooperation among relevant multilateral environmental agreements and international organizations. We further stress the importance of basing the listing of species on agreed criteria.

204. We take note of the establishment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and invite an early commencement of its work, in order to provide the best available policy-relevant information on biodiversity to assist decision makers.