The Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) will inaugurate its new building on July 29 at the University of the Philippines Los Baños in Laguna. The activity forms part of Asean’s golden anniversary celebration.
“We dedicate the new ACB building to the present and future generations. It is a hallmark of our commitment to sustain efforts toward biodiversity conservation. We at [the] ACB hope that this building will become a venue for all sectors, groups and individuals to come together and solidify initiatives to inspire everyone to take action for the web of life,” ACB Executive Director lawyer Roberto V. Oliva said.
The new building—which was designed and built using the principles of sustainable construction—is a testament to the long-standing commitment of the 10 Asean member-states to the conservation of biological resources in the region. The ACB sees the new building as a staging platform to further amplify its message of conserving biodiversity.
Oliva expressed appreciation to the government of the Philippines for supporting the construction of the building through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The Philippines is the host country of the ACB by virtue of a host country agreement signed in 2009. Dignitaries from the 10 Asean member-states, Asean Secretariat, dialogue partners, private-sector partners, local government partners and other friends of biodiversity will join the ACB in celebrating its new headquarters.
Besides the formal launch of the building, one of the highlights of the event is the signing ceremony between the ACB and the European Union for the Biodiversity Conservation and Management of Protected Areas in Asean, a five-year mission (2017 to 2022) that aims to improve the management of protected areas in the Asean, develop and mobilize knowledge and scientific basis for biodiversity conservation, mainstream biodiversity into the education system and strengthen the regional capacities.
The ACB will also launch the Second Edition of the Asean Biodiversity Outlook, which provides a midpoint assessment of the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in the Asean region. The inauguration marks another milestone for the ACB, which traces its roots to 1999 with the creation of the European Commission (EC)-funded Asean Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation (ARCBC).
The ARCBC fostered strong collaboration among the Asean member-states and between Asean and EC partner-institutions, gradually gaining recognition in the regional and global biodiversity arena.
Stakeholders agreed on the need for a permanent institution, as against a mere time-bound instrument. This promptly translated to the creation of the ACB—a center that facilitates cooperation and coordination among the Asean member-states and regional international organizations on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and the fair sharing of benefits arising from the use of such natural treasures.
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