Parliamentary Engagement at COP 16 of the Convention on Biological Diversity
The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), hosted by the Government of Colombia, concluded today in Cali. The primary objective of the Conference was to assess progress towards achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which encompasses 23 targets for 2030. Additionally, the Conference sought to establish an implementation action plan for the Framework and to discuss strategies for resource mobilization.
Numerous parliamentary events were organized in the framework of the Conference, including a Parliamentary Forum, which was an integral part of the official agenda and highlighted the value of parliamentarians’ participation in these negotiating spaces. A parliamentary declaration, to which ParlAmericas provided inputs, was debated and approved during this Forum. Other parliamentary events included discussions on protecting environmental defenders as mandated by the regional Escazú Agreement; the use of technology in biodiversity conservation; and the involvement of women in biodiversity conservation, showcased by the Congress of Colombia’s bill on women and biodiversity which reforms the Law on the Economy of Care to include women’s care for nature; among other important topics.
Members of ParlAmericas’ Networks and Caucuses were in attendance at these activities, including the Honourable Senator Rosa Galvez (Canada), President of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change and Sustainability; the Honourable Representative Catherine Juvinao (Colombia), Vice-President for South America of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network; the Honourable Representative Juan Carlos Losada (Colombia), Co-Chair of ParlAmericas’ Green Economy Caucus; and Maria Cristina Rosado, Coordinator of the Legal Committee for Women’s Equity of the Congress of Colombia and Member of the Parliamentary Staff Network on Gender Equality.
Key outcomes of COP16 include the adoption of a benefit-sharing mechanism for genetic resources, which urges private companies that benefit from genetic data to contribute 1% of their profit to the “Cali Fund”; the establishment of a new permanent Subsidiary Body for Indigenous peoples to engage directly with the CBD COP; a strategy for reviewing the implementation of the NBSAPs and encourage their submission, addressing the low submission rate; and a voluntary Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health to support the creation of policies and initiatives that better connect health and biodiversity. The IISD Earth Negotiation Bulletin can be consulted for further information on outcomes.
