Communication on Biodiversity: Aims

Besides the CEPA principles in the Biodiversity Convention, new and existing programmes of education and consciousness-raising will take the functions, values and visibility of biodiversity as an important point of departure. Measures will include support for communication with the public through projects by intermediaries, such as visitor centres, natural history museums and National Parks, and a policy document on nature and environmental education (NME).

Individuals, companies, non-governmental organisations and local authorities will also be offered ideas for specific actions they can take to promote the preservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the fair distribution of its benefits, including outside the Netherlands. They will be encouraged to join the ‘Countdown 2010' campaign and the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment's manual ‘Biodiversity Works!' will provide inspiring examples for everyone.

There is also growing international awareness that biodiversity is important for our livelihood and, more particularly, that the preservation and sustainable use of biodiversity are essential for socio-economic development and poverty alleviation in many poor countries. The Netherlands will therefore continue the international exchange of expertise and experience in this field and actively support the CEPA working programme under the Biodiversity Convention.