Biodiversity: With its “Kunming Statement”, China launches negotiation of a new global framework

The first part of COP15, which was held in China, recalled the urgency to act to stop the erosion of biodiversity, without addressing conflicting topics.

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This is an extra step on the long road that must lead, within six months, to the conclusion of a new global agreement designed to curb the erosion of biodiversity. For five days, from Monday 11 to Friday, October 15, the representatives of more than 100 countries gathered, for the vast majority in a virtual manner, to open the e World Conference (COP15 ) on biological diversity.

As expected, this first sequence – COP15 will be held in two stages – especially was an opportunity to launch a new call for mobilization and reaffirm the priorities of the different stakeholders. The more confrontal subjects should be placed on the table at the next working session in Geneva (Switzerland) in January 2022, before negotiating at the COP15 proper, so far planned in favor of China in April. “Our impression is that there is unanimity among all parties on the emergency, summarized in the name of Africa the Minister of the Environment of Senegal, Abdou Karim Sall. We must now transform this good will in concrete action through the new global framework for the next decade. “

During this week, states adopted a “Kunming Declaration”, named after the city of southwestern China where the “physical” part of the conference was held. A consensual text that recalls the need for profound transformations to put biodiversity “on the road to recovery” by 2030 and list 17 commitments to achieve this.

“The Kunming Declaration oriented us in the right direction, welcomed Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. Thanks to it, States are committed to negotiating an effective global framework , with the necessary resources and endowed with a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating progress. “” This is an ambitious, pragmatic and balanced text that will influence the post-2020 framework, “also assured Zhao Yingmin, the vice- Chinese Minister for Ecology.

Strengthen national action plans

In particular, the signatories promise to strengthen their national action plans, to work to “promote the integration” of conservation efforts in all decision-making processes, to allow “full and effective participation” “Aboriginal peoples and local communities or” enhance the effectiveness “of protected areas. If it does not contain any encrypted objective, the text “takes note” of the call of many states to be able to place under 30% of the land and seas by 2030, an objective in the project. agreement and is supported by 72 states. China, who officially took the presidency of COP15, did not spoke about this ambition.

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/Media reports.