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International Biodiversity Day
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International Biodiversity Day

2010 Biodiversity Target is “to achieve, by 2010, a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level, as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on Earth”

The United Nations proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. When first created by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in late 1993, 29 December (the date of entry into force of the Convention of Biological Diversity), was designated The International Day for Biological Diversity. In December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted 22 May as IDB, to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22 May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This was partly done because it was difficult for many countries to plan and carry out suitable celebrations for the date of 29 December, given the number of holidays that
coincide around that time of year.

Messages
Humans are part of nature’s rich diversity and have the power to protect or destroy it. Biodiversity, the variety of life on earth, is essential to sustaining the living networks and systems that provide us all with health, wealth, food, fuel and the vital services our lives depend on. Human activity is causing the diversity of life on earth to be lost at a greatly accelerated rate. These losses impoverish us all and damage the life support systems we rely on everyday.

But we can prevent them. 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity; Let’s reflect on our achievements to safeguard biodiversity and focus on the urgency of our challenge for the future. Now is the time to act.
Related Information
Goals
• Raise awareness of:
– the importance of biodiversity
– accomplishments to save biodiversity
• Promote innovative solutions
• Take immediate steps to reduce the rate of    loss of biodiversity
• Initiate dialogue on steps for the post-2010   period
Strategy
• Provide a global message and offer it to   Partners to   promote their own work
• Create information products that highlight    success   stories in safeguarding    biodiversity and the work of the    Convention
• Take advantage of existing events to    highlight the biodiversity agenda
Communications Campaign
• Create excitement around the discovery   that people are part of nature
• Highlight the huge opportunity we are    presented with in the IYB
• Create a strong sense of optimism that it is    not too late to act
• Be honest about the urgency of the    challenge. Now is the time to act.