2010: Celebrating the International Year of Biodiversity

A Sculpture by Stephanie Krasnov

 

 

More than one decade after the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the recognition of biodiversity loss has gained high political profile both at global, national and regional levels. This has resulted in ambitious commitments for action by heads of states, initiated in 2001 in the European Union.

 

In April 2002, governments at the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which is administered under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), agreed “to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth”. This target was endorsed by the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and is the focus for UNEP’s biodiversity-related activities. Biodiversity refers to the uncounted variety of living things on the planet. These living organisms, interacting among themselves and with the non-living environment, comprise the ecosystems of the world. They supply food, medicines, timber and fuel, and play a fundamental role in providing breathable air, conserving soils and stabilizing climates.

 

In 2006, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan suggested to incorporate the 2010 biodiversity target into the Millennium Development Goals. In his speech on Biodiversity Day 2007, Ban Ki-Moon announced the full integration of the target and the International Year for Biological Diversity in 2010. To represent the year 2010, I hand built a clay sculpture and adorned it with different creatures to incorporate as much biodiversity as possible. The sculpture was fired and I then painted it with acrylic paints to add detail and color.