State of Biodiversity in Africa

The year 2010 marks the International Year of Biodiversity and the global deadline for halting the loss of biodiversity. At the sixth meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in April 2002, the parties adopted a strategic plan, including the target of “achieving by 2010 a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels as a contribution to poverty alleviation and for the benefit of all life on Earth”. This 2010 biodiversity target was subsequently endorsed by the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the General Assembly, and was incorporated as a new target under the Millennium Development Goals.