This conference is part of the Global Environment Facility (GEF)/United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) funded project “Promoting Best Practices for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity of Global Significance in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones” implemented by the Third World Network of Scientific Organizations in Trieste, Italy. The Third World Network of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO), founded in 1988, is a network of nearly 160 scientific organizations in the South, including ministers of science and technology, research councils and academies of science. TWNSO’s mission is to help build political and scientific leadership in the South for science–based economic development and to promote sustainable development through South–South and South–North partnerships in science and technology.
Among the important projects designed by TWNSO to fulfill this mission is to establish networks of centers of excellence in such critical areas as fresh water management, medicinal and food plants, renewable energy and dryland biodiversity. The Third World Academy of Science (TWAS), based in Trieste, Italy, provides the secretariat for TWNSO and cosponsors a number of its activities.
The purpose of the conference is to bring together project participants and representatives of government ministries, development agencies, GEF/UNEP, the CBD, CCD, CCC, scientific centers of excellence, and a wide range of other stakeholders responsible for implementing development policies and programs to protect and sustainably use biodiversity in arid and semi–arid regions. During this conference, we will explore the prospects for developing and implementing policies and programs to provide long–term support for institutions responsible for biodiversity protection.
For Any further information, Please contact Pr. Bachir Raissouni, Executive Director of the Center of Environmental Issues and Regional Development, Alakhawayn University, Ifrane Morocco, Tél: 212 55 567155 fax: 212 55 862300 email: B.Raissouni@Alakhawayn.ma