Over 10,600 people tuned in for this year’s fully digital version of the European Development Days (EDD). This 14th edition of the EDD, which took place over two days on 15 and 16 June 2021, centered on the “Green Deal for a Sustainable Future”.
Some of the highlights and links to key sessions are below:
In her speech at the Opening Ceremony, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: “This year’s edition of the EDD takes place as we prepare the road to the UN Biodiversity Conference in Kunming. There, we want to agree on a powerful new global biodiversity framework, a framework that mobilises all citizens, and all parts of government and society.”
Amina Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary General: “The need for ambitious commitments and short-term verifiable targets is crucial to adequately respond to this challenge.” Session: A Green Economy for People and Nature. See the full speech here.
Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships: “Business as usual is not an option when it comes to fighting criminal networks involved in wildlife and forest crime.” Session: Will the Green Deal Save Wildlife from Trafficking. See the Commissioner’s speech here.
HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands: “Now is the time to rethink and reposition the urgent battle against wildlife crime, through true connection and cooperation at all levels to make this a top priority in the broader sense of climate change, nature conservation, health and many other aspects included in the Green Deal.” Session: Protecting Biodiversity and People.
Koen Doens, Director-General for International Partnerships at the European Commission: “COVID-19 put a magnifying glass on the connection between global health and the protection of forests and biodiversity … Biodiversity loss needs to be on the global agenda, in a way similar to climate change.” Session: Protecting Biodiversity and People.
Ben Affleck, Co-founder and Chair of the Eastern Congo Initiative, said: “The most effective, extraordinary philanthropy was being practiced by the Congolese themselves, whose intimate knowledge and experience of their own community made them far more expert than any NGO could possibly be. There are hundreds of community-based organisations doing important work on the ground.” Session: Conservation in a fragile context: protecting people and nature in Virunga Park, see here.
Emmanuel de Merode, Director of the Virunga National Park: “It’s not about benefits. It’s about empowerment. We want to turn the Virunga National Park into something that is going to drive the economy, an economy that is controlled by local groups and local people… We had to understand the underlying dynamics of violence and identify an alternative economic model.” Session: Conservation in a fragile context: protecting people and nature in Virunga Park, see here.
In order to help development in the region, the EU pledged an additional €20 million to finance a new power plant in Rwanguba that will provide a further 15 Megawatt of electricity. Read the Press Release issued by the European Commission here.
Dr Robert Nasi, Managing Director of CIFOR-ICRAF, presented eight priorities for biodiversity action to stop the sixth mass extinction of wildlife. See the Closing Ceremony.
Idris Elba, Board Member at Conservation International: “We all need nature; we depend on it for clean air, fresh water, healthy food; but we are destroying nature... The science is clear that we are running out of time. We must take urgent action to protect critical ecosystems like forests, mangroves and the peatlands. We must help the world’s most vulnerable as they deal with climate change and biodiversity loss. The EU and its Member States are essential to making these things happen.” See Closing Ceremony and his speech here
Debates this year were also enriched by the presence of 17 Young Leaders from all over the world. Meet all the #EDD21 Young Leaders here. Download the official EDD 2021 Young Leaders Press Release: In English In Portuguese In French In Italian In German In Finnish In Spanish
Read the Press Release on “Biodiversity: International experts propose eight actionable priorities for biodiversity programming” issued by the European Commission In English In French In Portuguese In Spanish
Read the Press Release on “EU boosts access to electricity in the Virunga area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo” In English here.
Re-watch all sessions here.
We look forward to seeing you again next year for EDD 2022!