Within the framework of the COP16 The Ibero-American Network of directors of Biodiversityan event in which the Dominican Republic participated, the Ministry of the Environment reported this Tuesday.
The institution stated in a statement that the network constitutes a space for dialogue that aims to promote actions to mitigate the loss of biodiversitythrough the exchange of knowledge, experiences and information.
This network was established in the VI Ibero-American Forum of Ministers of the Environment in 2006.
During the reactivation carried out within the framework of the celebration of the Sixteenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention Biodiversity (COP16), the work plan of the network was presented, the minutes of incorporation were signed by the directors of Biodiversity of Ibero-American countries and there was discussion about how the Global Framework for Biodiversity Kunming-Montreal.
The director of Biodiversity of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Marina Hernández, stated that these meetings constitute a space for technical and cooperative meeting that promotes the exchange of knowledge between the countries that are part of this network.
“The reactivation of the Network of directors of Biodiversity It will give us, the Ibero-American countries, the opportunity to have a space for exchanging experiences, obtain financial resources through joint proposals, as well as create capabilities and other benefits that can be achieved,” he indicated.
Hernández, who represents the Dominican Republic in this network, highlighted that Ibero-America is the region with the greatest biodiversity on the planet and which has a quarter of the tropical forests and 50% of the biodiversity global.
ABS RD seal
The Dominican Republic presented the ABS RD Seal at the United Nations summit, an innovative initiative to certify the sustainable use of genetic resources obtained from its biodiversity.
This seal is sponsored by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD), and is part of the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing.
The Vice Minister of Climate Change and Sustainability of the Ministry of the Environment, Ana Pimentel, expressed that this seal is an official recognition that the entity will grant to researchers, public institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or private companies that use genetic resources or their derivatives, and which represents the commitment of the Dominican Republic to the Nagoya Protocol of the Convention Biodiversity Biological.
“The ABS RD Seal is not only an exemplary institutional tool, but also becomes a symbol of ethics, transparency, sustainability and national competitiveness. The entities that obtain this seal not only demonstrate that they are committed to the conservation of these resources, but that also generate trust among users, consumers, and in markets that, increasingly, value products that promote conservation and social justice,” said the vice minister.
“With the extraordinary biodiversity of the Dominican Republic—which includes marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and countless endemic species—we are not only a repository of these valuable resources, but we have also made important efforts to implement a robust framework that ensures the distribution of benefits to our population,” he noted.
Pimentel made these statements while participating in the COP16 which considered the summit of biodiversity largest in history, in which more than 21,000 delegates meet to discuss faster and more effective solutions, in favor of people and the planet.
