Press Release

The Secretary General of the United Nations<br>Message on the International Day for Biological Diversity

Biological diversity is a widely under-appreciated resource that is essential for human existence and has a crucial role to play in sustainable development and the eradication of poverty. Biodiversity provides millions of people with livelihoods, helps to ensure food security, and is a rich source of both traditional medicines and modern pharmaceuticals. Biodiversity also provides basic ecological services on which all life depends. Unless we stop the loss of biological resources, our efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals by the 2015 will be that much more difficult, if not impossible

Publication Date
2003-05-22