Costa Rica receives global award for its biodiversity protection law

Policy rules to promote conservation and sustainable use of natural resources

Country surpass 18 other countries like Norway, Australia, Namibia and the Philipines

Costa Rica was awarded the global prize "Future Policy 2010"  yesterday for its Biodiversity Law (No. 7788) considered ground breaking legislation that promotes both conservation and intelligent use of natural resources.

The prize, awarded by the World Future Council, was granted at the  UN Conference  on Biodiversity 2010.celebrated in Nagoya, Japan.

The World Future Council is a charitable foundation based in Hamburg, Germany, which honors laws that safeguard  the lives of present and future generations.

The legislation was created in 1998 and it is the result of consensus among   locals, farmers, scientists and entrepreneurs, among others.

Energy and Telecommunications (Minaet) Vice minister Ana Lorena Guevara , said: "Our law was developed in a participatory process and created over a period of two years. Then we signed, enacted and implemented it. ".

The award "Future Policy 2010" was received yesterday by Mario Fernandez, Ambassador of Costa Rica in Japan, and honor the success achieved t so far by the implementation of the law

At the ceremony the World Future Council acknowledged that Costa Rica is the first developing country that has succeeded in stop the progress and reversing deforestation, as well as having   26% of its national territory as protected areas.
It also acknowledged the country as a global pioneer of the so-called ecotourism
Costa Rica was not nominated for the award, but it was the same organization that postulated the country
Sixteen countries and their laws were nominated, six were finalists: Costa Rica, Japan, Norway, Australia, Namibia and the Philippines
Our country was the winner and Australia won the platinum award for its success in protecting the biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef
Regulations.
Conservation, sustainable use and equitable distribution of natural resources is the objective pursued by the countries of the world affiliated to the so-called Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD).
Regulation of relationships between northern countries, which have financial and technological resources, and the South, which have rich biodiversity, is expected to be achieved with this Convention
"Most countries have made efforts in conservation, but the issue of natural resource usage is still complicated. So the Costa Rican experience is a model in facilitating access to genetic and biochemical resources, "said Guevara.

The scientist Rodrigo Gamez, president of the National Biodiversity Institute (INBio), concurred with Guevara, he added that Law No. 7788 emphasizes the regulation of the knowledge and bio -prospecting. The latter is the search for plants and microorganisms in Costa Rican forest, from which it is possible then to generate compounds of interest to manufacture drugs, detergents, new materials and other products.