RES 66.1 Resolution 66.1 Contribution of WAZA and its Members to the UN Decade on Biodiversity, 2011-2020 Background After the 2010 Year of Biodiversity and the successful CoP 10 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which was held in Nagoya, Japan (18-29 October 2010), the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the period from 2011 to 2020 as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity in its Resolution 65/161 with a view to contributing to the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020. The 66th WAZA Annual Conference APPLAUDES the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020 RECOGNISES that the CBD has established targets for the decade on Biodiversity, called the Strategic Plan and will develop a set of key indicators of success NOTES that the global Zoo and Aquarium community under the leadership of WAZA can significantly increase the impact of their individual conservation actions through the support, engagement and collaboration of major international partners such as IUCN and CBD UNDERSTANDS that WAZA Council supports this umbrella initiative with particular reference that professionally recognized zoos and aquariums can play key roles in achieving the targets regarding “raising awareness about the value of biodiversity” and “improving the status of threatened species” of the Strategic Plan of CBD FURTHER NOTES that the World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy provides clear direction for biodiversity conservation action in the zoo and aquarium community ALSO NOTES that the participants at the 7th International Zoo Marketing Conference, held in Granby, CA, 13-16 June 2011 recommended that WAZA fully endorses the support of the activities within the Decade on Biodiversity, allowing that the initiative will enable flexibility for regional and local biodiversity programmes to be seen to synergistically contribute to the common cause to halt the loss of biodiversity 1. DECIDES that WAZA Members formally endorse the UN Decade on Biodiversity 2011-20 2. WELCOMES that a framework of actions be developed, together with appropriate tools, including targets, indicators and metrics, so that all WAZA member zoos and aquariums with their individual needs and special circumstances may contribute in a truly meaningful and yet distinctive way as part of a worldwide movement 3. RECOGNIZES that the WAZA Marketing Committee takes on the role of monitoring the “Awareness Raising” component of the initiative
4. NOTES that the next WAZA Marketing Conference’s main theme be focused on the first target about “Raising Awareness” providing an opportunity to showcase initiatives, results and challenges