More than 190 countries have signed up to participate United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Colombia for 16th Conference of the Parties or COP16a meeting held every two years to agree on environmental protection commitments.
The meeting’s slogan was ‘Peace with Nature’, recognizing that economic development should not come at the expense of the environment.
COP16 should not be confused with the COP29 meeting on climate change to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan next month.
This is Five things you need to know on issues being resolved in Cali:
National strategy
Every country that has signed the convention has committed to developing plans to meet the various objectives outlined in the Convention. Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Frameworka global plan, adopted at COP15 in Canada.
Rangers patrol Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia.
The main goal of the convention is to protect 30% of the planet, including land, sea and freshwater areas, making them protected areas by the end of the decade.
Additionally, the framework emphasizes the restoration and protection of important ecosystems, such as tropical forests and wetlands.
“To date, less than 35 countries have submitted their plans,” said Juan Bello, regional director and representative of the Organization. United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“The focus of this summit is to review the targets proposed by each country to implement the global framework to see whether they are achieving their goal of halting biodiversity loss.
Funding for action: $700 billion
Protecting biodiversity is not cheap. About $700 billion is needed to get the ball rolling.
“Currently, $200 billion is needed per year,” Juan Bello said. An additional $500 billion is needed for economic sectors such as food and energy to “transform existing subsidies that are harmful to biodiversity.”
A financial model for implementing the global biodiversity framework is key to its success. This includes the source of funding and how it will be managed.
Monitor progress
Participants in Cali will also discuss how best to measure each country’s progress.
Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.
“These countries need to agree on indicators, measurement and verification, and this is quite complicated,” he admitted. UNEP expert.
Benefits of genetic resources
The framework also includes commitments to the sustainable use of natural resources with the aim of ensuring that the benefits derived from “genetic resources” are shared fairly and equitably among the communities that are their custodians. close to them.
The food industry can benefit from crop diversity.
Genetic resources are any biological material of living organisms, containing genetic information of actual or potential value.
“It is expected that those who use this information for industrial purposes, for example in the pharmaceutical industry, in the cosmetic and food industry, will be able to pay because this is the purpose,” said Juan Bello. industrial and commercial use”.
“The idea is that this use generates a payment that can benefit the countries and communities where this biodiversity is located. This is a very complex but extremely important issue,” Mr. Bello said.
Indigenous peoples
The Convention on Biological Diversity also recognizes the importance of the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples, he added, and delegates in Cali are focusing on how to “ensure that indigenous peoples have can receive all the recognition and conditions so that their contributions to biodiversity conservation are duly recognized. Bello.
Cubeo indigenous people perform dance at COP16.
The role of peoples of African descent in contributing to the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity is also being discussed.
Expected
Progress on multiple fronts is expected this weekend. “One very important thing that can come out of this summit is the recognition that actions to restore ecosystems are fundamental to solving the climate crisis,” said a UNEP representative. and climate change.”
