The UN has launched the International Year of Forests. Will be a theme in environment and biodiversity events through the year - World Environment Day, World Biodiversity Day, conferences &c.
The Nagoya protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing was opened for signature on 2 February - CBD press release. It will enter into force 90 days after the 50th instrument of ratification is deposited with the UN: they hope by October 2012/...more
.../ The aim is to achieve entry into force in time for the October 2012 CBD Conference of the Parties in Delhi. The progress to this goal is going to be different in different countries, so achieving the deadline will be interesting. Some countries may ratify only when able to enforce the requirements, while others may ratify before they have full capacity.
Nature editorial on a report from the German Wissenschaftsrat (national science council) on criteria for assessing scientific value of collections on a national scale. Can't yet find an English version on the WR website. Preserve the past Nature 470, 5–6 (03 February 2011) doi:10.1038/470005b
