MDG on reducing biodiversity loss and the CBD's 2010 target

Beginning with the 1972 Stockholm Summit on Sustainable Development, the links between economic, social and environmental aspects to achieving sustainable development have received increasing attention. The Rio Conventions (biodiversity, climate change and desertification) infused new life into providing global and national frameworks to integrate environment into national development Efforts to advance such commitments, to make this planet a better place to live and to ensure that development does not deprive people of their basic minimum livelihood needs, has led countries to develop a set of measurable goals and targets to achieve sustainable development during the United Nations General Assembly (UNCA) in 2000. These goals, termed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), currently form the basis of all debates and discussions on development around the world. In 2005, the UNGA adopted a set of detailed targets related to Goal 7 on environmental governance which aimed at significantly reducing the rate of loss of biodiversity by the year 2010 (Target 7 B)1. This Target is supported by two indicators for monitoring progress, namely, the proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected and the proportion of species threatened with extinction. While there has been eagerness from the UN Member States to achieve the eight MDGs by the year 2015 since the Millennium Declaration was signed in 2000, concerns are mounting as to whether the goals, targets and indicators set out are realistic in terms of measuring and monitoring for concrete results.