IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

IUCN at the UN General Assembly - why biodiversity matters

23 September 2010 | News story

The key to achieving not only one, but several Millennium Development Goals lies in realising how the services that nature provides are linked to our human well-being. This message was part of IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefèvre's speech at the UN General Assembly, currently underway in New York.

Marking the International Year of Biodiversity, the UN General Assembly held a first ever special session on biodiversity. Delegates discussed why governments have failed to meet a 2010 target for curbing loss of biodiversity and what future steps need to be taken to make sure the post-2010 biodiversity targets are met.

Addressing world leaders at the High-Level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals, IUCN's Director General warned that "we have five years to make a difference."

Read the full speech