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MINISTER MAH BOW TAN TO VISIT GERMANY AND SWEDEN
FROM 27 MAY TO 3 JUNE 2008

     Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development, will be visiting Germany and Sweden from 27 May to 3 June 2008. He will be attending the High Level Segment of the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Bonn, Germany from 28 – 30 May 2008.

2   During the conference, Minister Mah will be delivering a statement on Singapore’s efforts in urban biodiversity conservation. He will also speak on possible ideas for international collaboration towards achieving the CBD target of significantly reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.

3   In a visit to Singapore in January 2008, Dr Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the CBD, had assessed that Singapore has done well in balancing its economic development with environmental sustainability. Subsequent to his visit, the CBD Secretariat has invited Minister Mah to share Singapore’s experience at the CBD conference in Bonn.

4   Following the conference, Minister Mah will be leading a delegation on a working visit to the German city of Hamburg and the Swedish cities of Malmo and Stockholm from 31 May to 3 June 2008. The delegation will meet the local city planning and building authorities to exchange learning points on efforts to develop waterfront districts and on sustainable development.

5   Minister Mah will be accompanied by officials from the Ministry of National Development, National Parks Board, Urban Redevelopment Authority and Building and Construction Authority.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

6   The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits from the utilization of genetic resources. There are 191 Parties subscribed to the CBD. Singapore became a Party to the CBD on 21 December 1995.

7    In April 2002, the Parties to the Convention committed themselves to achieve by 2010, a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on Earth.

8   The High Level Segment of the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity is organised by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany in consultation with the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties and the Executive Secretary of the Convention.

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Last updated on 26 May 2008