2010 Biodiversity Target - History of The 2010 Biodiversity Target

History of The 2010 Biodiversity Target

It was first adopted by EU Heads of State at the EU Summit in Gothenburg in June 2001. They decided that "biodiversity decline should be halted with the aim of reaching this objective by 2010".

One year later, the Convention on Biological Diversity's sixth Conference of the Parties adopted the Strategic Plan for the Convention in Decision VI/26. The Decision says "Parties commit themselves to a more effective and coherent implementation of the three objectives of the Convention, 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 World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002 confirmed the 2010 Biodiversity Target and called for "the achievement by 2010 of a significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biological diversity".

In 2003, Environment Ministers and Heads of delegation from 51 countries in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region adopted the Kiev Resolution on Biodiversity at the fifth Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe” and decided to "reinforce our objective to halt the loss of biological diversity at all levels by the year 2010".

By the year 2006, the following nations have contributed extensively to establishment of individual Biodiversity Action Plans: Tanzania, New Zealand, Great Britain and the United States of America, called Species Recovery Plans in the USA.