Cristián Samper, director of the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution, will address the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity and assess whether or not the treaty’s goals can realistically be met by its target deadline of 2010 during a presentation at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 21 in McCrary Theatre, located in the Center for the Arts on campus. Samper’s presentation, part of the Voices of Discovery speaker series, is free and open to the public.
The Convention on Biological Diversity resulted from the 1992 United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development, held in Brazil. The document acknowledged the critical need for healthy ecosystems and the potential for humans to live sustainably. Since then, more than 180 countries have ratified the biodiversity treaty, which posed 2010 as the target year to reduce the loss of biodiversity. The treaty adopted a seven-step approach to the problem, including the promotion of the sustainable use of biodiversity, addressing major threats to biodiversity and mobilizing international resources.
Samper is an internationally recognized scientist, educator and leader in tropical biology and conservation. He played a crucial role in the development of a global strategy for plant conservation and has continued that work since he was appointed director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in 2003.
The National Museum’s collections of specimens and artifacts are the basis for research and for answering important questions about biodiversity’s past, present and future. Samper says the museum can play a significant role in efforts to address the loss of biodiversity by generating knowledge and collaborating with scientists.
Born in Costa Rica and raised in Colombia, Samper received a doctorate in biology from Harvard University in 1992.
Samper’s presentation is part of the Voices of Discovery science speaker series, sponsored by Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. The series invites noted scholars in science and mathematics to Elon to share their knowledge and experience with students.
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