Toespraak bij het dertigjarig jubileum van de IUCN

Toespraak | 27-11-2008

Ladies and gentlemen,
Over the past sixty years IUCN has built up impressive capital. Not only in expertise, networks, and development cooperation, but above all in its role as a builder of bridges. Your efforts have driven nature policy forwards, on both a national and an international level. IUCN has been active in the Netherlands for thirty years, and has operated on the global stage for the last sixty. I am proud of what you have achieved, and I am confident you will continue to perform a vital role in the future.

I was delighted to receive an invitation to address this symposium. I would firstly like to describe the political challenges we face today. I will then explain how the government is tackling these challenges. I will end by offering some perspective on the future of IUCN.

But let us start with the present. I believe I would be doing you, and the planet, a great disservice by establishing a nature policy that focuses on specific areas, such as the Natura 2000 network, or National Parks.Nature policy must embrace much more. It must cover the diversity of our global ecosystems, as that is the only way to halt the loss of our planet's biodiversity. That is why I opt for a broader approach, one that takes every individual into account, at regional, national and global level. Now and for generations to come.

Fortunately, this is an ambition that many of us in the world share. You may remember the Johannesburg Summit of 2002, when world leaders pledged to substantially reduce the loss of biodiversity before 2010. They also saw the need for broad, far-reaching and coordinated efforts. After all, imbalances in ecosystems can result in floods, droughts, food shortages, poverty, health problems and global instability. That is why sustainable development is a key element of the Millennium Development Goals. And that is why sustainability must form the basis for government policy and programmes.

But how do you do that? And where do you start? After all, nature is always changing, influenced by climate, agriculture and other human activities.

A good example of the complexity of the challenge we face is the dilemma of whether crops should be used for fuel or food. To me the answer is clear. As long as there are people suffering from hunger in the world, food must be the priority. But is this issue as clear-cut as it seems? To begin with, does the production of biofuels actually compromise food security? And in what areas of the world do food and fuel crops compete for the same land and resources? Although we may know where the solution lies, there are many possible roads to consider. And this is certainly the case if you want to make political decisions in a responsible and cohesive way. When making decisions, many factors must be taken into account - social, cultural, ecological and economic. People, Planet, Profit.

In such cases it is clear that international coordination is essential.

The international dimension leads me to my second theme, namely, what form should government policy take? Our approach is in the spirit of the Johannesburg Summit. As Prime Minister Balkenende then said: 'We've done the talking, so let's start walking'.

In the Netherlands, the 'walking' is very much underway. Every year I receive the Nature Balance. This report details the current state of the natural environment in the Netherlands, and the progress of related policy. Every year it is critical of the state of biodiversity in our country. But last year it revealed that our nature and biodiversity policy is starting to bear fruit. That is a major step, but we are certainly not out of the woods yet.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment gives several reasons to step up our efforts. It raises concerns that affect everybody. We do after all bear individual responsibility for reducing our own ecological footprint.We are working together with developing countries to help them conserve biodiversity and maintain a sustainable environment. And we do this through various channels such as the Global Environment Fund and IUCN. But to do 'the walking' it is important to answer the questions 'what' and 'how'. In order to answer the question 'what', we have prepared the Biodiversity Policy Programme with priorities for the coming four years. These include:

• Cooperation with the business community and civil society organisations.
• Sustainable international production chains -including timber, soy, palm oil and fish.
• 162 Natura 2000 areas in the Netherlands.
• I have called on Mr Hans Alders, chairman of the Task Force for Biodiversity and Natural Resources to deliver practical suggestions on how governments and civil society partners can further strengthen each other's efforts. And how they can do this in a way that protects biodiversity even more effectively. To reduce our dependence on natural resources, and to reduce deforestation.

And how should we do it? Through nature management that is sustainable. Nature management with the gates thrown wide open to the public. Nature management that takes account of trends in society and in the economy. Because these days, ecology and economy are not opposing forces, but interdependant ones, that are mutually reinforcing.

Our policy aims to reach the drivers of innovation, consumers, people engaged in recreation. They can all make a valuable contribution, directly or indirectly. We must bring a wide variety of parties to the table to create opportunities together. Nurturing respect for people, animals and nature is a responsibility we all share.

This brings me to my third and last theme, namely the future of IUCN.

As I said, IUCN is a builder of bridges. It maintains an open, respectful dialogue with companies and civil society organisations. But I think IUCN can do more than build bridges. It can show the way forward. Over 1,000 NGOs in the world have joined IUCN. That is an impressive level of support, even on the international political stage. And it is one that is capable of sending clear signals to the world community. The choice is yours. IUCN must point the way towards a sustainable future. And it can do so by taking up a clear position in the international debate on conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.

I see that the debate in the Netherlands, where IUCN has 35 members, is gathering pace. Take the Leaders For Nature movement, in which an impressive number of businesses are involved. It began with an open letter to the Dutch cabinet signed by over 90 captains of industry. The letter called for government policy on conservation of nature, ecosystems, climate change and sustainable business practices. This letter was followed up by an initiative of young professionals from 25 companies,who stressed their commitment to introducing sustainable business practices to their companies.

The Task Force for Biodiversity and Natural Resources was born from an idea of Leaders For Nature. It is now time for them to set out a concrete agenda for the business community to follow. If IUCN can gather support from leading companies for these initiatives and to provide basic financing, the government will also step up to the challenge and make a contribution.

IUCN provided the catalyst for the Task Force, but it is now time to follow through on this initiative. It is time for the active involvement of the business community. CEOs and captains of industry cannot just watch from the sidelines. They must now deliver.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to conclude. Nature provides our most valuable resources, and we must recognise the wealth we enjoy from nature's capital. The Netherlands recognises this, as does the international community. And if nature is kept in balance, we may continue to benefit. But the balance is a delicate one, so we must ensure our demands are not excessive. That is why our policy must be in harmony with nature.

Sustainable nature management must therefore be central to our approach. Everyone must feel a sense of responsibility, and everyone must be able to do take up this responsibility. We can only achieve this if we are all prepared to make the right choices, and stand by them. In turn, the government will play its part, by spreading knowledge and providing information. By introducing rules that stimulate responsible actions. That is the only way to get the ball rolling.

IUCN fulfils a crucial role. And I trust it will continue to inspire businesses and civil society organisations. I am only too happy to support your efforts, in the best interests of people, planet and profit. But this challenge is not only one for the conservationists, politicians and captains of industry. It is a challenge for everyone. Thank you.