France has decided to postpone three international summits which were to be held on its soil in June and July, due to the coronavirus pandemic, announced the Elysee Thursday, April 2.

To replace the Africa – France Summit in Bordeaux, initially scheduled for June 4, "in connection with our African partners, the President of the Republic will propose in the coming days to his counterparts an initiative devoted to the health and economic response to the Covid- 19 across the continent, "announced the French Presidency.

The congress of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which was expected in Marseille from June 11 to 15, will be postponed to the first quarter of 2021. These "Olympics of biodiversity" are the occasion for thousands of actors in nature conservation - governments, NGOs, experts - to establish priorities and launch new actions to protect ecosystems.

Summit of heads of state also postponed

This congress was also an opportunity to update the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and, for the first time, to educate the general public about the need to protect nature, with exhibitions and stands. Tens of thousands of visitors were expected.

Emmanuel Macron had also planned, on the sidelines of this congress, a summit of heads of state ahead of COP15 on biodiversity, itself planned for the fall in China. It should also be carried over to the 1st quarter of 2021.

Finally, in agreement with UN Women, the Generation Equality Forum in Paris, which was to be held from July 7 to 10, is postponed to the first half of 2021. And for this edition, "France will honor the commitment of all those , especially caregivers, who are fighting the epidemic today. "

With AFP

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