Signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the Convention on Biological Diversity is dedicated to promoting sustainable development.

The Convention recognises that biological diversity is about more than plants, animals and micro organisms and their ecosystems – it is about people and our need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment in which to live. (www.cbd.int)

Nature Protects if She is Protected - is the theme of the COP 11. The Conference of the Parties is held every two years, bringing together all parties to the Convention as well as stakeholders and interested partners, to take stock on work done and to guide future work under the Convention.

“The In-depth Review of the Programme of Work on Island Biodiversity is one of the main agenda items that the Pacific will closely follow given the focus on island biodiversity,” said Ms. Easter Galuvao, SPREP’s Biodiversity Adviser.

“Continued emphasis on island biodiversity with adequate resources to support the implementation of the Programme of Work and the Aichi Targets would be one of the desired outcomes to be achieved at COP11.”

The 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity will be held in Hyderabad, India from 8 - 19 October, 2012. The Pacific Island Countries and Territories that are a party to this are: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.