Global Youth Call for Government Action on Biodiversity

The voices of youth all over the world will be heard this October when representatives present a Youth Accord for Biodiversity at the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) in Nagoya, Japan. These teens and young adults are making it evident that biodiversity conservation is on their agenda, just as much (if not more so!) as it is on the agendas of world governments. They believe that they are the voice of the future and the acknowledge the important role they play in promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Like many of us, this coalition of young advocates, would like to see their governments take action towards conserving biodiversity. The Accord, drafted by youth and signed by over 4,000 young people in 60 countries, calls for actions such as:

- Providing funding for educational programs on the value of and need for biological diversity;
- Setting a defined target date to stop preventable loss of biodiversity; and
- Implementing sustainable development practices in all areas.

There's been great momentum leading up to COP10 this October, mainly due to the fact that 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity, and signing this Accord can only add to that.

We at Nature Canada support the Youth Accord for Biodiversity. Nature Canada would like you to sign our letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper urging the Canadian Government to make significant efforts in protecting biodiversity this year - it is our chance to take action on behalf of future generations.