CBD COP16.2 Inauguration of the Italian Biodiversity Exhibition Opening Remarks

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning,

I am delighted to come together with our close friends from Italy, to open this exhibition.

Italy, you have a lot of things to offer. Of course, Italian food, but even foods, not food, because you have different kinds of food - and that is based on the biodiversity. If you do not have biodiversity, how can you have food diversity?

Under the Italian administrative arrangements, I am very pleased that the Carabinieri take responsibility to protect the forestry and the biodiversity ecosystem. Their enforcement power strengthens the implementation of ideals - to protect the environment and ecosystems. I really appreciate it.

You have a lot of things to share, your experience, and also to learn from other Members.

FAO is hosted by Italy, with 194 Members, so it is an advantage for you to sell, to promote your ideas, your practices. Not like other Members that have to travel here, so, I encourage the Ambassadors to use FAO premises more. Because of course you come from your office, different parts of Italy, there are travelling costs, but you can imagine others with one ticket. I just came back from South Africa. It is a long way to come here. So, it is time for you to use being Italian more, and also, I use Italy more, you use FAO more. I really appreciate it.

Third, I think that Italy, you are one of the early industrialized countries, or civilized, developed countries; that means during the past 3 000 years, you have a lot of lessons to share with others. Not only experience, due to the industrialization, due to the unsustainable practice to destroy the biodiversity ecosystem. So, your lessons are also very important.

Your lessons are also good for other Members to try to avoid if they start with urbanization or industrialization. So that, I think, it is very valuable and benefits both sides.

And fourth, I think you have a lot of solutions here. In Italy, you have quite an early country in the world that developed science, physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, and also environmental science.

So that is fundamental in offering solutions to the global challenges we are facing now.

I read a book yesterday that said in the world only about 47 Members finished the industrialization. After World War II, only two new Members were added - one is South Korea, the other is China. Still, a lot of Members of FAO, as we have more than 157 Members, that have not finished their path to industrialization. In Italy, you are one of the earliest, as I said.

So, industrialization and urbanization, like Rome, as an ancient city, create a lot of pressure on the environment. We can therefore learn from Italy.

Finally, FAO is your Organization. We can have closer cooperation with all of our partners. Not only Ambassadors, not only Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Agriculture, Ministers for the Environment, but also local government, like Rome, Florence or Naples. Not only government officials, but also universities and the civil society, private sector, farmers, farmers organizations.

Because for protection, conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems, we need all partners to work together.

FAO is one of the convenient meeting points for you to meet with the rest of the world or meet relative partners from Italy and beyond Italy.

I wish you all the best. Thank you.