16th Convention on Biological Diversity COP
COP 16, the largest Convention on Biological Diversity meeting, showcased the importance of engaging society in discussions on biodiversity.
Several key decisions were made:
- A new program and Subsidiary Body were created to address issues related to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), and the role of people of African descent was recognized.
- A decision on the Multilateral Mechanism for Digital Sequence Information (DSI) was made, requiring companies using DSI from genetic resources to contribute to the 'Cali Fund,' with at least the half allocated to IPLCs.
- A network of Regional Centers for Scientific and Technical Cooperation (TSC centers) was established, coordinated by the CBD Secretariat. https://www.cbd.int/tsc/tscm
- Procedures were adopted for identifying Ecologically and Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs), supporting the implementation of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) and helping achieve the goal of conserving 30% of marine areas by 2030.
Pending items that will be addressed in the resumed sessions of the COP 16 include:
- Biodiversity finance, including a strategy for resource mobilization
- Monitoring framework of the KMGBF
- Mechanism for Planning, Monitoring, Reporting and Review (PMRR)