Foreign Minister Westerwelle Welcomes Choice of Bonn as Host City for IPBES Secretariat
Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle issued the following statement on April 20 in Berlin on the decision taken by IPBES (the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) to base its Secretariat in Bonn:
- "This is very good news for Bonn and an excellent decision for the global endeavor to preserve our planet's biodiversity. The decision not only strengthens Bonn as a UN location. It also recognizes Germany's international commitment. The UN campus in Bonn is not only becoming even bigger. It is also growing ever more important for the key global issues pertaining to sustainable development. Bonn will prove to be an ideal location for IPBES, providing the best possible conditions for the work of this international research body."
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The western German city of Bonn is nestled just south of Cologne in the Rhine River valley.
(© picture-alliance/dpa)
South Korea, India, Kenya and France all competed with Germany to host the secretariat of this new intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services. In the fourth round of voting, Bonn saw off the last remaining contender from South Korea by 47 votes to 43. The German Government, the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Environment Ministry and the German Embassies around the world conducted an intensive campaign over the past few months promoting Bonn as the best candidate city for the new IPBES headquarters.
The vote in its favor is also a sign of recognition for Germany's enduring commitment to the preservation of biodiversity worldwide. With the addition of IBPES, Bonn has further strengthened its position as a UN city hosting organizations dedicated to the environment and sustainability.
The decision to locate the IPBES Secretariat in Bonn was taken yesterday evening in Panama City by representatives of almost 100 states at the second session of the plenary meeting on IPBES.
