Conserving plant and animal species is not a luxury, Migiro warns

Protecting the world’s many species of plants and animals from extinction should not be considered a luxury option, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro has told a gathering of female environment ministers, urging them to take the lead in efforts to maintain fragile ecosystems.

In a video message yesterday to female ministers attending the high-level segment of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Bonn, Germany, Ms. Migiro said they were meeting at a critical time, when many species of plants and animals were faced with extinction.

“Conserving biodiversity is not a luxury,” she said. “All of us – particularly the poor – depend on the ability of the world’s ecosystems to provide the full spectrum of goods and services essential to our survival. This requires us to conserve and manage biodiversity in a sustainable manner.”

Ms. Migiro added that women have a special role to play in protecting biodiversity. “They possess knowledge, practices and a capacity for innovation acquired over centuries. They are at the forefront of protecting life on Earth, and the key to achieving the 2010 biodiversity target to reduce or reverse biodiversity loss.”