TEMPO.CO, Jakarta- Three youth leaders and a business newspaper was honoured by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the 2014 ASEAN Champions of Biodiversity at an award ceremony in Manila on Wednesday, November 26, 2014 for the outstanding work in biodiversity conservation and advocacy.

Adeline Suwarna and twin sisters Gabriella and Giovanna Thohir were honoured as the 2014 Youth Champions of Biodiversity for their work with Sahabat Alam and the Bekantan Twins Project by Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje of the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Dr. Berthold Seibert, Project Director of the Biodiversity and Climate Change Project (BCCP), and Roberto Oliva, Executive Director of ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).

Meanwhile, Philippine-based Business Mirror was recognised as the 2014 Media Champion of Biodiversity for prioritising biodiversity reportage by devoting a full section to biodiversity-related stories each week - which consists of day-to-day reportage and special reports, as well as its evaluation and presentation of stories across all sections.

"This year's winners are modern-day heroes who bring biodiversity closer to everyone, and inspire people to take action and conserve biodiversity. The ASEAN Champions of Biodiversity seeks to become a force multiplier by identifying and engaging leaders among various sectors who will spread awareness for the urgent need to conserve biodiversity," said ACB Chairman Roberto Oliva.

Secretary Paje said in his keynote speech that the ASEAN Champions of Biodiversity shows that the region is not only home to biologically significant species and ecosystems, but also to globally significant and worthy individuals and groups who can champion the cause of conservation.

"I urge our fellow Filipinos and our friends from the other ASEAN Member States to join us in our efforts to conserve biodiversity. Fighting biodiversity loss and its impacts is a shared responsibility among all of us who stand to lose so much – our planet and its natural treasures that sustain our very existence," he said.

The ASEAN Champions of Biodiversity is an award event organised by the ACB and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) of Germany through the Biodiversity and Climate Change Project (BCCP) which aims to award and recognise outstanding initiatives on conserving and advocating biodiversity in Southeast Asia. (*)