CBCGDF Successfully Held SIDS4 Side Event of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States on May 28, 2024

On May 28^th,2024, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) successfully hold a side event titled "Marine Biodiversity and Sustainable Development of Small Island" , which is one of the official side events approved by the organizing committee of 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4)(May 27-30, 2024, Antigua and Barbuda). More than 5,000 people from all over the world participated in the event online or via live broadcast.

 

Prof. Freddrick Dubee chaired the side event and together with the guests explored the threats posed by climate change and pollution, the unique challenges faced by SIDS in protecting this vital resource, and explored solutions for its sustainable use. 

Prof. Freddrick Dubee is an expert of CBCGDF, a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, a full Member of the Club of Rome, a Founding Director Club of Rome China and JCI Ambassador, and a member of the BGI Advisory Board/Think Tank, Senior Advisor to the BGI Institutional Review Board, BGI Medicine.

 

Dr. Palitha T. B. Kohona delivered an opening speech for the meeting. Dr. Palitha T. B. Kohona was the former ambassador of Sri Lanka to China ,the former Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations (UN).Until August 2009, he was the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Sri Lanka and was the former Secretary-General of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process. He was also the former co-chair of UN Ad Hoc working group on biological diversity beyond national jurisdiction.

 

Dr. Gunter Pauli delivered a speech titled: “The Metro of The Sea & sustainable development of local economies. Dr. Gunter Pauli is an entrepreneur and economist who has written over 20 books that are translated into over 30 languages and distributed over 17 million copies worldwide, including the famous ‘The Blue Economy’. 

He shared his more than 40 years of work towards sustainable economic development and introduced ‘Porrima’ , the experimental ship which runs entirely on renewable energy, and its efforts to accelerate the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Shark Lady, Dr. Andrea Richey Executive Director of Hong Kong Shark Foundation deliver eda keynote speech titled "Global Shark Crisis: Exploring the Crucial Role Sharks Play in Maintaining Marine Biodiversity". She talked about the current situation of sharks and their important role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. She called for raising awareness of shark protection and actively encouraged the younger generation to join the global fight to protect sharks.

 

Prof. Geoffrey Lipman delivered a speech titled: “Small Island Developing States Tourism on the Brink”.Prof. Geoffrey Lipman is Co-founder & President of SUNx Malta, President of ICTP (International Council of Tourism Partners), Chair greenearth.travel, member of Club of Rome-EU. After leadership positions in IATA, WTTC and UNWTO, he is leading the SUN Program, designed to bring green growth to travel destinations. 

He spoke about how global climate change issues are most challenging and urgent in small island states; the world needs to take climate action now. SUNx is working to help accelerate the tourism industry’s response and turn education into action.

 

Dr. Sara Platto delivered a speech titled: “Thriving Through Sustainability: Successful Development Strategies in SIDS”. Dr. Sara Platto is an expert in animal behavior, welfare and veterinary medicine. She is currently an associate professor at the School of Life Sciences at Jianghan University. She won the 2020 Chinese Government’s Friendship Award. 

At the meeting, she explained the local ecological knowledge of small island developing States, their energy dependence characteristics, and the alternative economic models that have been successfully implemented in some small island developing States (SIDS). 

Dr. Edoardo Monaco, Associate Professor & Department Head, BNU-HKBU UIC, a member of Chinese Association of the Club of Rome, and a Research Fellow of United Nations Multi-Country Office for Micronesia, together with Dr. Masato Abe, Economist, United Nations Multi-Country Office for Micronesia, a Research Fellow of Thammasat University, Thailand and a visiting lecturer of Waseda University, Japan, delivered a speech titled “Sustainable Development Across Micronesia and Beyond” at the meeting.

 

Professor James Crabbe delivered a speech title “The Fragility of the Ocean for small island developing states: from Coral Reefs to Deep Sea Mining”. Prof. James Crabbe is a Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal Society of Arts, the Royal Society of Biology, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Linnean Society of Great Britain. He introduced the impact of global climate change on coral reefs, deep-sea sediment ecosystems, and made recommendations on deep-sea mining.

 

During the Q/A session, Dr. Hans Friederich, former Director-General of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR),, answered questions about balancing tourism development with biodiversity conservation and promoting sustainable ecotourism in SIDS. During his tenure as Director-General of INBAR from 2014 to 2019, Dr. Hans Friederich led the international organization to achieve fruitful results, including expanding member countries to 45, promoting INBAR to obtain observer status at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and promoting and enhancing the environmental, social and economic value of bamboo on a global scale; in 2018, the first "World Bamboo and Rattan Conference" (BRAC 2018) was held in Beijing, China, and a wonderful pavilion of the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan was prepared for the 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition in China. Dr. Hans Friederich has made unique contributions to promoting climate-friendly tourism and promoting bamboo and rattan in achieving the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and green development.

 

Organizers of the side event:

 

Ø  China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation （CBCGDF）

Ø  Porrima;

Ø  The SUNx Program;

Ø  International Engineering and Technology Institute, IETI;

Ø  Beijing Pioneer Hi-Tech Development Ltd. Co. (BPC);

Ø  Globalization and Development (GAD) Program, Department of Social Sciences, Beijing Normal University - Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (BNU-HKBU UIC);

Ø  Biodiversity and Green Foundation, INC(BAG);

Ø  Beijing Genomics Institution (BGI）;

Ø  Wuhan Business University, WBU;

Ø  Wenzhou University, WZU;

Ø  World Academy of Sustainable Development, WAOSD;

Ø  Hong Kong Shark Foundation

 

Side event live link:

https://mr.mbd.baidu.com/r/1jiOgsn5X9u?f=cp&u=cebbb4c460a6f808

Original Chinese Article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/W6F6UZFnvQYlcGs6b0p9Fw

Translator: Sara

Checked by: Richard

Editor: Sara    

Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

 

 

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