24 Feb 2011

UN / MEXICO BIODIVERSITY

On the occasion of Mexico’s signature of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Mexico’s Minister of Environment Juan Rafael Elvira told reporters today that his country wanted to send a message to the “countries of the world” the importance of not only signing this agreement but “to do this in an urgent way.” UNTV

Posted at: February 24, 2011 5:43 pm

Duration: 02:23

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / MEXICO BIODIVERSITY
TRT: 2.23
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / SPANISH / NATS

DATELINE: 24 FEBRUARY 2011, NEW YORK CITY

SHOTLIST:

RECENT 2011, UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations headquarters

24 FEBRUARY 2011, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, press conference
3. Wide shot, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Juan Rafael Elvira, Minister of Environment, Mexico:
"We want to send the message to the rest of the countries of the world especially the mega-diverse countries how important it is for Mexico and the world, not only to sign this agreement but at the same time to send the message to all the countries and all the society to do this in an urgent way."
5. Cutaway, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Juan Rafael Elvira, Minister of Environment, Mexico:
"What happens with the Nagoya protocol is that we have clear rules both for pharmaceutical companies and for other uses so that they can be extracted legally with the permits and with the conservation and compensation mechanisms for any company which wishes to extract any kind of resource. The Nagoya Protocol gives us three advantages: having a legal framework, having a structure to seek a budget for conservation and thirdly being able to operate with all countries towards a shared goal."
7. Cutaway, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Juan Rafael Elvira, Minister of Environment, Mexico:
"Mexico has been able to double the budget for the environment in only four years. This has been through a major support from the Mexican Congress and a very decisive initiative from the President of Mexico, President Calderon who adopted this sign of leadership, but we also need international resources in order to go further and to be able to cover ecosystems and species which need protection."
9. Cutaway, journalists
10. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Juan Rafael Elvira, Minister of Environment, Mexico:
"If everything goes according to schedule and all political parties show they are willing regarding environmental protection we could have a new international law but this is a decision of the Mexican senate." 
11. Cutaway, journalists
12. Wide shot, Juan Rafael Elvira leaves the press room behind

STORYLINE:

Mexico today signed the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits at United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York.

Later at a press conference, Mexico's Minister of Environment Juan Rafael Elvira said that  his country wanted to send a message to the "countries of the world" the importance of not only signing this agreement but "to do this in an urgent way."   
He added that the Protocol gave three advantages: having a legal framework, a structure to seek a budget for conservation and being able to operate with all countries towards a shared goal.

Mexico, he said, had been able to double the budget for the environment in four years through major support from the Mexican Congress and from a "very decisive" initiative from President Calderon. But Elvira said that international resources were now needed in order to go further to be able to cover ecosystems and species which need protection.

He also said that if everything went according to schedule and all political parties showed willingness regarding environmental protection there could be a new international law soon but that was a decision for the Mexican senate.

México was the third Latin American country after Colombia and Brazil and fifth in the world together with Yemen and Algeria to sign the Protocol which requires 50 State ratifications to enter into force.

The treaty outlined how benefits – for example, from when a plant's genetics are turned into a commercial product, such as medicine – will be shared with countries and communities who conserved and managed that resource, in some cases for millennia. The Protocol will remain open for signing in the Secretary-General's office until the end of the year.