|
[Internal and External Conference]
Chinese Delegation Attended "the 7th Conference of Parties to CBD"
The 7th Conference of Parties to CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) was held in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur from February 9 to 20, 2004. About 2300 delegates from 160 contracting parties, 5 non-contracting parties, 34 UN organizations, 57 intergovernmental organizations, 302 non-governmental organizations and so on attended this conference. During this conference, Malaysian government hosted environmental ministerial meeting from February 18 to 19. The ministers in charge of environment from about 100 countries participated in this meeting.
China is the contracting party to CBD. Chinese government delegation comprised by State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce, State Forestry Bureau, State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), State Food and Drug Administration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Hongkong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) Fishery and Agriculture Bureau took part in the conference. Vice Ministry of SEPA Zhu Guangyao was the head of Chinese delegation.
This conference has approved a series of reports, and reviewed over 20 substantial topics, including protected area, technology cooperation and transfer, access and beneficial sharing of genetic resources etc.
Chinese Delegation Attended the First Conference of Parties to Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
The First Conference of Parties to Cartagena Biosafety Protocol was held in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur from February 23 to 27, 2004. Nearly 1 000 delegates from 81 contracting parties, 79 governments in the name of observer status, 8 UN special institutes, 11 intergovernmental organizations, 83 non-governmental organizations, 1 aboriginal local community, 18 industrial circles, 29 scientific and educational institutes attended this conference. Chinese delegation comprised by State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce, State Food and Drug Administration, State Forestry Bureau, State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine took part in this conference. The main topics reviewed at this conference included information sharing and biosafety Clearing-House， capacity building， management, delivery, pack, and label， performance， liability for compensation and remediation，direction to financial mechanism, the medium-term working plan of contracting party conference， as well as other topics that need to be reviewed in order to effectively enforce Biosafety Protocol.
Mr. Seri Law Hieng Ding, President of the 7th Conference of Parties to CBD and Malaysian Environmental Minister, hosted the conference. At the conference, participants elected a vice president, approved standing orders about the Conference of Parties to CBD as the Conference of Parties to Biosafety Protocol, reviewed and approved intergovernmental committee reports on Biosafety Protocol.
The Second Meeting of Joint Ministerial Conference on Protecting Biological Species Resources Held
In order to strengthen protection and management of biological species resources, and prevent its exhaustion and loss in China, according to the opinion of State Council Special Coordination Conference in 2003, under the lead of SEPA, Joint Ministerial Conference on Protecting Biological Species Resources was established, and "Committee of Experts in Protecting National Biological Species Resources" was also set up.
On August 21, 2003, the first Joint Ministerial Conference on Protecting Biological Species Resources was held in Beijing. After that conference, the second Joint Ministerial Conference on Protecting Biological Species Resources was held at SEPA on June 29, 2004. The focus of this meeting was to carry out and fulfill the opinions made by general office of State Council about "Notice on Strengthening the Protection and Management of Biological Species Resources".
This meeting was hosted by Zhu Guangyao, vice Minister of SEPA. Leaguers and liaison people from 17 member units of Joint Ministerial Conference including State Development Planning Commission, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Public Health, SEPA, Customs General Administration PRC, State Bureau of Industry and Commerce, State Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, State Forestry Bureau, State Food and Drug Administration, State Intellectual Property Office, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences etc. attended this meeting. State Council vice Secretary-general Wang Yang presented at the meeting and made an important speech.
The viceMinister of SEPA Zhu Guangyao made a report on work development since the Joint Ministerial Conference was established one year ago and main work suggestions in this year. In the report he said since the Joint Ministerial Conference was established one year ago, each department had made fruitful achievements in an positive attitude and acting on team spirit, which included: 1) perfecting the management and working mechanism; 2) launching the inspection on execution of law, strengthening the system of management according to law; 3) actively conducting the publicity and education about protecting biological species Resources; 4) consummating the executive plan of investigating biological species resources; 5) working out the policy documents about the protection and management of biological species resources; 6) enhancing the cooperation and communication between departments, thoroughly exerting the coordination mechanism of the Joint Ministerial Conference. Talking of main work in 2004, Zhu Guangyao said there were about 7 work arrangements, which include: 1) jointly conducting focus investigation on species resources; 2) starting up to compile the protection and utilization programming on biological species resources; 3) establishing and perfecting management systems of export approval, exit and entry check and external cooperation; 4) improving the strength of law enforcement, strengthening the protection and management of wild rice and wild orchid; 5) taking various ways to deeply and extensively conduct publicity and education; 6) establishing special plan of science technology development; 7) pushing local governments to conduct the protection and management of biological species resources.
Delegates from member units of Joint Ministerial Conference carefully discussed documents including "Opinions about Implementing General office of State Council's 'Notice on Strengthening the Protection and Management of Biological SpeciesResources' (Deliberation Version)", "Executive Plan of Investigating National Biological Species Resources Project (Deliberation Version)", "Compilation Plan on Programming of Protecting and Utilizing National Biological Species Resources (Deliberation Version)", "Law Enforcement and Inspection Report on Protecting National Biological Species Resources (Deliberation Version) etc., put forward amending proposals, and approved these documents in principle.
State Council vice Secretary-General Wang Yang conveyed central government leaders' comments on strengthening the protection of biological species resources and made an important speech. He thoroughly affirmed the previous-stage work implemented by the Joint Ministerial Conference, agreed to the suggestions about next-stage work arrangement. His speech included five main parts: 1) further improving understanding, earnestly carrying out and fulfilling General Office of State Council's "Notice on Strengthening the Protection and Management of Biological Species Resources"; 2) basing on the current situation, viewing to the future, and strengthening the basic work of protecting biological species resources; 3) taking positive management measures to prevent the exhaustion and loss of biological species resources; 4) each department should be responsible for a particular field of work and manage together to fully exert the role of the Joint Ministerial Conference, and work jointly to implement the protection of biological species resources in our country.
Working Coordination Group Conference on China's Implementation of CBD held in Beijing
The 2004 Working Coordination Group Conference on China's Implementation of CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) was held at the second hostel of State Council on September 30, 2004. It was hosted by Zhu Guangyao, head of working coordination group in charge of China's implementation of CBD and vice Minister of SEPA. Members and liaison people from 20 departments of performing coordination group attended this meeting.
Zhuang Guotai, Deputy Director-General of Nature andEcology Conservation Department of SEPA and Chief of Diversity and Biosafety office, explained the files and documents submitted to this conference for discussion. Relevant people from SEPA Diversity and Biosafety office and Foreign Economy Cooperation Office (FECO)respectively reported on implementation of UNEP/GEF projects, Support for the Implementation of the National Biosafety Framework(China), Capacity Building of Clearing House Mechanism and Preparation of a Second National Report to the COP (China) and development of China's biological diversity partnership framework project.
At the meeting, all the participants earnestly discussed the work rules of working coordination group in charge of China's implementation of CBD, management measures on China's national biological diversity clearing house, relevant Decisions made at the 7th conference of parties to CBD as well as opinions about domestic implementation and arrangement, working plan of investigating the acquisition and beneficial sharing system of biological genetic resources, global environmental management ability, and implementation plan of biological diversity self-assessment project. They also put forward a lot of good opinions and suggestions. Vice Minister Zhu Guangyao made an important speech on China's implementation of CBD in future.
(By Wang Jie)
[National Action]
National Political Consultative Conference Proposition Committee Specially Investigates the Hazard
and Prevention & Control of Alien Invasive Species
From July 9 to 20, 2004, joint investigation group constituted by national political consultative conference proposition committee and SEPA went to Guangxi province and Guangdong province and conducted special investigation on the hazard and prevention & control of alien invasive species.
After hearing the report on the hazard and prevention & control of alien invasive species made by relevant departments of these two provinces, and conducting first-hand investigation, the investigation group thought although relevant departments and each area in China had established corresponding work system of preventing the hazard of alien invasive species, had made delightful achievements in substantial work such as weeding out Johnson grass, red-belly piranha, and controlling bird flu virus, and explored a lot of successful experience in controlling the hazard of plants such as Eupatorium odoratum Linn，spartin aallerni flora，Mikania micrantha etc by applying ecological recovery or the principle of inter-promotion and restriction, we would still pay high attention to the serious hazard and creeping trend caused by current alien invasive species. If we didn't further perfect effective prevention and control system, it would bring serious threat to the ecological safety of our country. As an achievement of this investigation, "Investigation Report on the Hazard and Prevention & Control of Alien Invasive Species" had been filed to the general office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and State Council by general office of national committee of political consultative conference. This investigation report put forward four suggestions about the several current problems existing in the prevention and control of alien invasive species in China: 1) under the guidance of scientific development outlook, to deepen the knowledge of the hazard of alien invasive species, and enhance the consciousness of the prevention and control; 2) to draw experience from foreign legislation and press ahead the legislation on preventing and controlling alien invasive species; 3) to increase the strength of scientific research, and promote and further conduct basic scientific research; 4) to consummate the mechanism of comprehensive coordination and work division and establish national effective system of preventing and controlling the hazard of alien invasive species.
This investigation organized by the national political consultative conference proposition committee aimed to implement the proposition about preventing and controlling alien invasive species and maintaining national ecological safety put forward by agriculture, industry and the Party Central Committee, and many members of CPPCC at the first and second meeting of the 10th National PCC. It also aimed to further understand the hazard status of alien species invasion and accelerate the management of alien species. The SEPA sent some people to attend this special investigation; meanwhile, it also handled the proposition in this aspect jointly with Ministry of Agriculture, State Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, Customs General Administration PRC, Ministry of Finance, State Forestry Bureau, China Science and Technology Association etc.
(By Tao Siming, Zhang Jianzhi)
Utilizing Biodiversity to Control Paddy Diseases
There are more than 30 kinds of paddy diseases and insect pests, among which over 10 kinds are dominant. They cause a loss of about 5 million tons of grain every year in China, amounting to the output of 2 big grain production provinces. Rice blast is the main paddy disease. To control this disease, there are 3 ways in general: spraying chemical pesticides, cultivating anti-disease breeds and biological control. Utilizing mixed cultivation between different breeds of same crop or different crops is the effective way to prevent and control paddy diseases and insect pests, which has been tested early at home and abroad. But no case has succeeded erenow at home and abroad in finding out the reason that this method can prevent and control diseases and insect pests from view of mechanism, making this method operable in practice and technique, and therefore popularizing and applying it on a large scale in production. Through study and experiments for many years, Pro.Zhu Youyong and his task force in Yunnan Main Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Yunnan Agriculture University, not only discovered versatile mechanisms in utilizing different breeds of paddy to prevent rice blast, but also successfully controlled this disease through interplanting different breeds of paddy at local area, and had brought enormous economic and environmental benefits. According to his method, glutinous rice is interplanted into hybrid rice by different proportion, which can change the colony structure of pathogenic bacteria in rice, and therefore rice blast is unable to prevail and cause calamity just as in single-breed paddy field. In addition, after interplanting hybrid rice and glutinous rice, the micro-ecological environment in field is also changing. The humidity is decreasing and the three-dimensional space is establishing, which destroy the planar distribution of single breed, and thus the existing time of dewdrop will shorten and the sunlight will strengthen, thereby effectively controlling the rice blast easily caused in humid surroundings. The experimental result shows that the interplant between glutinous rice and hybrid rice can not only effectively control the rice blast and reduce the amount of pesticide by 60%, but also can increase the rice output. The dissertation based on this achievement had been published in full text on the international authoritative scientific magazine of British Nature. American Science commented and reported this scientific achievement once again. The world media also emulatively reported this event. Dr. Ronald Cantrell, superintendent of International Rice Research Institute, said China had made praiseworthy achievements in utilizing biodiversity to control paddy diseases and insect pests, standing in a leading position in the world. This technique developed especially rapidly in southwest of China, such as Sichuan and Yunnan Province. Director-general Teng Caiyuan and vice Director-General Zhao Xueqian of Sichuan Provincial Agriculture Department introduced that Sichuan Province had accumulatively increased 612 million kilograms of glutinous rice from 2002 to 2004 after utilizing biodiversity to control and prevent rice blast, and reduced disease loss of 338 million kilograms, whereas farmers had saved up to 89 million Yuan RMB in pesticide. This had been of far-reaching importance in grain safety, increasing farmers' income, and sustainable development in ecology conservation and agriculture. So far this technique has been popularized in paddy fields of 24 million Mu or so, increasing the rice output of about 1 200 million kilograms in China.
"International Symposium on Utilizing Biodiversity to Control Paddy Diseases" was opened in Chengdu from July 17 to 18, 2004. This symposium was sponsored by State Center of Agricultural Technique Popularization/Ministry of Agriculture, Yunnan Agriculture University and International Rice Research Institute, and undertaken by Sichuan Provincial Agriculture Department. More than 100 experts and administrative officers from International Rice Research Institute and over 10 provincial agriculture departments (bureaus) in charge of plant protection attended this meeting. The main contents of this symposium included: 1) conducting first-hand investigation on utilizing interplant of glutinous rice and hybrid rice to control paddy diseases; 2) giving technical reports by Professor Zhu Youyong and experts from International Rice Research Institute; 3) giving reports about concrete measures on how government departments popularized interplant technique by directors from Sichuan and Yunnan provincial agriculture department; and 4) exchanging experiences and giving reports on popularizing interplant technique at local place by experts in plant protection from each province.
(By Liu Biao)
[International Cooperation]
UNEP Manager Investigated UNEP/GEF China Biosafety Framework Implementation Project
From September 13 to 17, 2004, UNEP project manager in charge of UNEP/GEF biosafety framework implementation project, Dr. Fee Chon Chong went to Beijing, Anyang City in Hebei province, Xuzhou City and Nanjing City in Jiangsu province to investigate the activities of UNEP/GEF Chinese biosafety framework implementation project.
On the afternoon of September 13, Biodiversity and Biosafety Office/Nature and Ecology Conservation Department/SEPA held talks with Dr. Fee Chon Chong. Vice Director-General Zhuang Guotai briefed that it was expected for Chinese government to ratify Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety at the end of this year or at the beginning of next year. After Chinese government ratifiesthe Protocol, the obligations for complying with the Protocol would be further increased.
Dr. Chong briefly introduced the other biosafety framework implementation projects in other 7 countries undertaken by UNEP, such as Bulgaria and Poland in Europe; Cameroon, Namibia, Kenya and Uganda in Africa; and Cuba in Latin America. She mainly introduced the requirements of financial management about UNEP/GEF project.
On September 14, companied by Dr.Zhang Jianzhi from Biodiversity and Biosafety Office, Dr. Chong went to Anyang City in Hebei province by train. Together with Xu Haigen, Liu Biao and so on from Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences (NIES),Dr. Chong visited Cotton Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and the genetically modified(GM) cotton test base for UNEP/GEF project.
On September 15, Dr. Chong, Dr.Zhang Jianzhi, and Pro.Xu Haigen, Pro.Wang Changyong and Dr.Liu Biao etc. from NIES reviewed genetically modified (GM)soybean test base of Sweet Potato Institute, CAAS. Pro.Wang Changbiao and Ms.Liu Yan from NIES cooperated with Sweet Potato Institute to conduct the monitoring of environmental impact of hybrid test on GM soybean and wild soybean.
On the morning of September 16, a small symposium was held in NIES. Director-General Gao Zhenning introduced the general situation as well as the main scientific researches of NIES. Vice Director-General Zhang Yongchun hosted this symposium. Experts in charge of relevant project task reported the main contents, research achievement and existing problems in each task. Dr Chong-Low introduced the general implementation situation of UNEP/GEF national biosafety framework implementation projects in the world, and the basic requirements of UNEP/GEF project management. She specially stressed the important role and significance played by China to this project. She hoped China's national biosafety framework implementation project could be a success, and made contribution to China's biosafety management, and also provided guidance for other countries in the world to establish and implement national biosafety framework.
Dr. Chong and others also visited and reviewed key national environmental protection and biosafety laboratory in NIES.
(By Zhang Jianzhi)
Collaborative Project of Sino-Euro Biodiversity Protection Set to Be Started Up
From September 24 to 25, 2004, Preparatory and Training Workshop on Collaborative Project of Sino-Euro Biodiversity Protection was held in Kunming city, Yunnan province. It was organized by Biodiversity and Biosafety office in charge of implementing CBD and biosafety management, Nature and Ecology Conservation Department, SEPA. Officials and experts from environmental protection bureaus of Yunnan, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Shanxi, Guangxi and Anhui attended this training workshop.
Delegates from each province introduced the main problems existing in biodiversity protection, exchanged the experience about conducting biodiversity protection activities, and discussed the work plan for next step.
Relevant people from Foreign Economy Cooperation Office(FECO) of SEPA introduced China biodiversity partnership projects and the background of Sino-Euro biodiversity protection project. Relevant people from Biodiversity and Biosafety office respectively introduced the content and plan of implementing CBD and local biodiversity protection projects, as well as the procedures and focal contents of UNEP/GEF international cooperation projects. This workshop also put forward substantial opinions and requirements on how to develop biodiversity protection activities in future.
(By Zhang Jianzhi)
[Technology Consultation]
Technology Consultation on Development Strategy of Techniques about Preventing and
Controlling Alien Invasive Species
The Technology Consultation on Development Strategy of Techniques about Preventing and Controlling Alien Invasive Species was held in China Agricultural Scientific Academy from August 7 to 8, 2004 and was hosted by Professor Wan Fanghao. Participating experts came from departments in charge of agriculture, forestry, education, oceanic administration, environmental protection, quarantine etc. At this conference, participants discussed matters concerned with preparing the international symposium on development strategy of techniques about alien invasive species preventing and controlling . The international symposium will be held in November and jointly held by Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences(CAAS) and CABI.
This conference first discussed the topics of international symposium, primarily including four aspects: 1) to summarize the status quo, impact and hazard of alien invasive organisms in our country; 2) to analyze the framework, methods and measures of techniques about preventing and controlling alien invasive organisms in our country; 3) to sum up China's need and capability building in preventing and controlling invasion of alien harmful organisms; 4) to plan the strategic framework of techniques about preventing and controlling alien invasive organisms, propose preferential developing action plans in different fields, and provide strategic report on techniques about preventing and controlling the invasion of alien harmful organisms for the international symposium on "APEC-Alien Invasive Species" held next year.
At this meeting, six workgroups in different fields were established, including agriculture, forestry, quarantine, environment and biodiversity, oceanic administration and integrated management. The task of these workgroups was to appraise comprehensively the status quo, capability building requirement and technical support system for exotic harmful organisms invasion in China around above topics and bring forward technical and strategic report on prevention and control of exotic harmful organisms invasion within their own field.
(By Xu Haigen, Ding Hui)
2004' State-level Natural Reserves Review Conference& Founding Conference
of the 4th State-level Natural Reserves Review Committee Held
The 2004' state-level natural reserves review conference and founding conference of the 4th state-level natural reserves review committee was held in Beijing on September 2, 2004. This conference looked back to and fully affirmed the work implemented by the 3rd committee. Vice Minister of SEPA Zhu Guangyao made an important speech titled by "The Review and Management of State-level Natural Reserves Should Keep Up With the Times", giving directions for the development and management of natural reserves in future.
This conference reviewed the applications about adjusting the range and function areas of 7 state-level natural reserves such as Xi-lin-guo-le prairie in Inner Mongolia. It also reviewed the applications about promoting 11 natural reserves such as Da-bu-su in Jilin province to be state-level natural reserves. After the conference, the natural reserves passing the review would be publicized in China Environment Newspaper from October 11 to 20, seeking public's opinion about planning to establish state-level natural reserves.
(By Zhou Haili)
biodiversity action in china
Editor：Ms.Zhang Jianzhi,Mr.Zhu Guangqing
The CBD and Biosafety Office,
state Environmental Protection Administration（SEPA），China
No.115 Xizhimennei Nanxiaojie Beijing China, 100035
Tel： 0086-10-67117664， 66189282
Fax：0086-10-67133967， 66189279
Email:Biosafety@sepa.gov.cn
Zhu.guangqing@sepa.gov.cn
Website:www.biodiv.gov.cn
| 
