The failure to meet those goals has led to a "high scale" of species loss, particularly in developing countries, Toepfer said. "We have to do much more," he said. "We cannot do it simply by lip service but we must do our utmost to tell the people that biodiversity is important to their economic development."

An estimated 34,000 plant and 5,200 animal species, including one in eight of the world's bird species, face extinction, according to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which has been ratified by more than 187 countries. The Kuala Lumpur conference is the seventh meeting of parties to the convention (Eileen Ng, Agence France-Presse, Feb. 9).

Toepfer told the conference that the "global development agenda" set by rich countries consumes most of the world's natural resources, and is behind the species loss (Sean Yoong, Associated Press/Yahoo! News, Feb. 9).

Renowned Canadian scientist David Suzuki told reporters after the conference opening, "Nothing has really happened since Rio. They are acting as if we've got all the time in the world. There is no sense of urgency that we are in a crisis," he said. "Oceans are collapsing, the atmosphere is building up carbon dioxide, species are vanishing. This is an absolute crisis and I don't sense that here," he added.

Officials said the possibility of a legally binding agreement on access and benefit sharing is expected to be a hot topic at the two-week meeting, with developing countries opposing wealthy nations that want a voluntary agreement. Activists are expected to seek intermediate targets for implementation of the already agreed-to plan for "a significant reduction in the rate of loss of biodiversity" by 2010 (Ng, AFP).

The meeting, held every two years, will also focus on biological diversity of mountain ecosystems, the role of protected areas in the preservation of biological diversity, the transfer of technology and technology cooperation and the achievements made to decrease loss of biodiversity by 2010 (Convention on Biological Diversity release, Feb. 9).

Copyright, National Journal Group, 2004