THE UN: Ministers and officials from 180 countries have agreed to establish a global network of protected areas both on land and at sea, with the aim of reducing the loss of species, reports Frank McDonald
But the Kuala Lumpur Declaration, adopted at the end of a United Nations conference there on biodiversity, only lays down a deadline of 2010 for reaching agreement on a set of indicators to measure achievements in reducing losses.
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, who was leading the European Union delegation, said agreement on indicators was a "critical bedrock of the declaration" because nothing would be done without targets, other than "paper exercises".
Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, he said the protected areas debate was "well versed at home in Ireland" and claimed that "solid progress" had been made in relation to conservation of land-based habitats.
Flanked by the EU Environment Commissioner, Ms Margot Wallström, he said: "People, including some of us at home, cannot lecture the rest of the world on the destruction of rainforests while failing to protect our own biodiversity."
Mr Cullen said the challenge of conserving biodiversity was unique, as "there is no precedent to follow and no possibility of a second chance if we get it wrong".
He said no country should operate in isolation and "expect others to pick up any slack".