Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

[ ] 13 On the Silver Jubilee for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), I reflect on my experience as the Chairperson of the first Conference of The Parties (COP) of the CBD. As the Minister re- sponsible for Environmental Matters in The Bahamas, the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, The Rt. Honourable Hubert Alexander Ingraham, entrusted me with the honouur of organizing and chair- ing COP-1, November 28th to December 9th, 1994, in our beautiful capital, Nassau, The Bahamas. Having played had a role in the initial process more than two decades ago, I continue to have a profound sense of pride in CBD’s accomplishments. The journey from the adoption of the Rio Convention to the CBD COP-1, although not easy, was possible with the support of the Conference Secretary and of highly capable personnel of Bahamian Government Ministries and Agencies. One of the greatest challenges faced was the mechanism for electronic transmittal of the Conference documents in the required UN languages. In 1994 our telecommunications engineers thought it was impossible as the internet was in its infancy in The Bahamas. However, in addition to her assistance with the management of the budget and constructing the programme for the conference, Conference Secretary, Angela Cropper, calling upon her knowledge and experiences, helped tremendously in overcoming these hurdles, working countless hours alongside technicians and engineers to make the impossible, possible. By fostering an understanding among the Parties, the CBD, over the ensuing years has made remarkable strides to make the best decisions for positive global impact, emphasizing that biodiversity is more than plant and animal conservation and protection; that it also embodies the need for fresh air, food security, clean water, access to medicine and shelter and the imperative to protect our environment. Since signing onto the Convention in 1994, The Bahamas has achieved remarkable success towards conserving and promoting the sustainable use of our marine resources; taken actions to combat desertification, reduce pollution and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change nationally and regionally; and promoted sustainable development. Serving as Chairperson for the first COP of the CBD was an exciting, memorable and noteworthy accomplishment for our small island state. The Conference was an historic moment for The Bahamas as we ably hosted such a significant event. As a result of the work done to prepare for the