Lulus Leben: GYBN - COP simulation and input

24.08.2012

This morning we are simulating a conference of parties (COP). In the afternoon we get lots of input about topics, that will be discussed at CBD COP11. Also we have to stop working for a few hours and we are enjoying Berlin in different kinds of sightseeing tours.

COP simulation

We learn about the functioning of a COP by putting ourselves in the shoes of a delegates or lobbyists through a realistic role play. Some represent delegates from Ethiopia, Kiribati, Indonesia, Brazil, China, EU, Saudi Arabia and Madagascar. Other are lobbyists like the USA as observer, NGOs (Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace) and also Indigenous. Horst Korn from the BfN is the chair of our simulated conference. Before we start to dicuss, Horst Korn gives us an overview about negotiations in the CBD process. He explains: How do negotiations at the CBD work?, What interest groups do exist? and How do you successfully lobby for your position? Moreover we watch a short movie about biofuels, the topic we will discuss about.

Horst Korn

Delegates

The chair

Seth, Svana, Dayna and I are China.

After our negotiation the Indigenous and NGOs are demonstrating.

"Stop burning my food!"

"Agrofuels are not lowcarbon!"

Finance

Later Ariana Steinsmeier from Nature Conservancy Europe gives a talk about financial instruments for biodiversity protection. She clearifys questions like: Where does the money come from? Where does it go to? and is the actual setting suffient to meet the challenge to halt the loss of biodiversity? Departing from a need assessment for the strategic plan, the question of resource mobilization arises: What innovative financial mechanisms could contribute to the replenishment of needed funds? Since finance is the main topic of CBD COP11, the workshop tries to set target and depicts where pressure is needed for the up-coming COP. After the talk there is space for questions and a discussion about efficient usage of financing arises. In the end Ariane gives tips for our Berlin declaration. "Make it short!"

Workshop phase

In the afternoon we have two workshop phases with each three topics.

Marine and coastal biodiversity

The workshop highlights the importance of marine and coastal biodiversity. Assessing the human impact on marine and coastal biodiversity, the talk sketches a global framework for the protection of marine and coastal biodiversity. Furthermore it lays out the pressing issues at CBD COP11.

Climate and biodiversity

Katrin Vohland from Natural History Museum Berlin Naturhistorische Museum Berlin presents the connection among climate change and biodiversity. Climate change hugely affects biodiversity and is likely to become the dominant direct driver of biodiversity loss by the end of the century. It is already forcing biodiversity to adapt either through changing habitat, life cycles, or development of new physical traits. This, in turn, will affect vital ecosystem services for all humans. Maintaining biodiversity can help reduce the effects of climate change. If we act now to mitigate greenhouse gas emission and identify systems-based adaption priorities, we can reduce the risk of species extinctions and limit damage to ecosystems. the talk explains interrelations of climate change and biodiversity and depicts the challenges of joining the two most pressing topics of our time and their relevance in the CBD process.

Nagoya Protocol and ABS

Thomas Greiber from the Senior Legal Officer at IUCN explains the Nagoya Protocol and ABS. The Nagoya Protocol builds on and supports the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources. It is a landmark agreement in the international governance of biodiversity and is relevant for a variety of commercial and non-commercial sectors involved in the use and exchange of genetic resource, the application of the Protocol poses problems in terms of implementation and real equitable benefit sharing. The workshop introduces fundamental principles of access and benefit-sharing enshrined in the CBD and depicts difficulties an challenges in the application of the Nagoya Protocol.

Strategic Plan

In the secound working phase Nicola Uhde from BUND gives a workshop about the Strategic plan. The Strategic plan, a ten-year framework for action by all countries and stakeholders to safeguard biodiversity and the benefits it provides to people, sets ambitious but realistic goals to protect biodiversity. The development of national targets and their incorporation into updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) is a key process in fulfilling the commitments set out in the Strategic Plan. This talk will shed light on how the specific strategic goals can be reached, where there is still a lack in terms of implementation and what the main discussion points at COP11 will be.

TEEB

Carsten Neßhöver from UFZ explains the growing role of economic approaches in the context of the CBD. The workshop introduces the global study TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity), which was carried out by UNEP in the years 2008 to 2010 on behalf of the EU, Germany and many other countries. TEEB Takes up the growing need for an economic perspective in the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, while acknowledging the whole set of values that humans attach to Nature. TEEB had a marked influence on the global biodiversity debate, including the results of CBD COP10 in Nagoya in 2012. the talk will indicate how TEEB findings can further be used in the CBD context and is followed by a discussion where participants debate about pro and cons of valuing nature.

live broadcast

with Carsten Neßhöfer

Melina, Lena and Christian

Cartagena Protocol and Biosafety

Rudolf Buntzel from EED talks about the Cartagena Protocol and Biosafety. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is a supplementary agreement to the CBD which aims to ensure the safe handling, transport and use of living modofied organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology that may adverse effects on biodiversity. the Protocol establishes procedures for regulating the import and export of LMOs from one country to another. The workshop gives an insight into the regulating procedures and depicts difficulties in implementation.

GYBN rope

Svana invented the GYBN drink
by throwing a cucumber slice in Jean Paul's apple juice.

Svana and I

Berlin sightseeing

In the evening we have different sightseeing trip through Berlin. Some explore Berlin by bike and get to know the city and its history. Others discover Berlin by boat. A third group strolls through the city center. They walk from the Alexanderplatz along the main avenue Unter den Linden to Brandenburger Gate, the Parliament and the chancellery. Also they see the political institutions of today, the East and the West as well as earlier centuries.

We are going to the train station in Elstal.

Watertower

At the platform

Melina, Svana, Tsigi and Mpha
from left to right

Jean Paul and Veli
in the Hauptbahnhof

Biking sightseeing tour

Can you see the TV tower?

We are at the Berlin Wall.

Peri and Sikander

Nora

Getting ready

Luisa is our tour guide for tonight.

Looking to the "West" side of Berlin

Shailyn is riding in the "dead zone".
In the time of the DDR you would get shot here.

Adele

Those sticks present were the Wall was.

Bernauer Straße

Ackerstraße

A tower at the Berlin Wall to watch the dead zone

This river is called Spree.

The TV-tower at Alexanderplatz

Adele at the Adele-Schreiber-Krieger-Str.

Now we are in the political district.

Svana and I

The Hauptbahnhof

Nora, Sabuj, Svana, Peri, Sikander, Irma, Eyal, Shailyn, Luisa,
Svana and I
from left to right

We are bikers!

Chancellery

Parliament

The Brandenburger Gate from the west side

The Brandenburger Gate from the east side