Road to COP16

As I write this, I am on my way to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) Sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP16) in Cali, Colombia. I have spent months preparing for this trip, or perhaps even years. COP15 was held in my home country of Canada two years ago, when the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was created. Some would call this an historic document, while others would say it is one in a long line of many. Key elements in this agreement include 4 goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030, all aimed at conserving global biodiversity. It is also from this framework that sprung the 30 by 30 initiative: nation states will conserve 30% of land and 30% of water biodiversity by 2030.

National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans

This being the first COP since the creation of the KM-GBF, all eyes seem to be focused on whether any actual progress has been made. Presumably, nation states have been working towards implementation of the framework in the last two years. In fact, this is the COP where nations are expected to be presenting their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). These are the strategies that nations intend to use in order to meet the targets and goals as outlined by the KM-GBF. Presumably, the NBSAPs would also indicate some form of accountability and reporting for progress. However, as of October 14, with COP16 being only one week away, merely 25 of 195 countries have submitted their NBSAPs.

Canada is proposing the Nature Accountability Bill (C-73), which is currently in first reading at the House of Commons. This bill does outline a mechanism for reporting in that the Minister is required to submit a report to the CBD Secretariat “on or before each submission deadline”. However, what happens if the submission is not made? Or, if the report shows that progress has not occurred according to timelines and “any corrective measures that are taken or proposed to be taken to address any failure to make progress” are proven ineffective? What enforcement mechanisms exist at the global level? At the end of the day, these are the never-ending and perhaps unanswerable questions.

Along with C-73, Canada is also submitting the 2030 Nature Strategy, which begins with a footnote that says, "The Government of Québec considers itself excluded from the application of the 2030 Nature Strategy [...] Québec is developing its 2030 Nature Plan that will contribute to the achievement of global targets, including the 30% conservation target within Québec." Perhaps not the best start to what is meant to be a national strategy, and may be a preview of what is yet to come. If a nation state is unable to come to an agreement within itself on how to best implement a strategy to save the planet, how are all the nation states in the world expected to do the same?

Digital Sequencing Information

Assets and Benefits Sharing (ABS) of Digital Sequencing Information (DSI), which is about the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from DSI with marginalized groups and the global south, appears to be a hot topic for this COP. One of the priorities is meant to be the defining and operationalizing of mechanisms for the distribution of this information. There is also a call for a global fund to which all users of DSI must contribute to with a portion of their revenue streams.

For me, women and Indigenous Peoples must be included in decision-making processes and the protection of their rights. To that end, ABS should be gender-responsive and at least 30% of the benefits should be allocated to projects supporting women’s participation in biodiversity conservation and the protection of Indigenous cultures and knowledge. DSI need to be shared equitably with women and Indigenous groups, and guardrails must be in place to prevent extractivism, surveillance capitalism, function creep and exploitation of the same marginalized groups we seek to benefit. Specific commitments need to be made to ensure that the goals of the Gender Plan of Action, adopted at COP15 and progress to be reported on at COP16, including those regarding training, financing and policies in support of women-led initiatives in biodiversity conservation, are reached or exceeded.

Side Events

I am also very much looking forward to participating at many of the side events and meeting the numerous like-minded speakers who will be in attendance. Aside from the official negotiations, the Blue Zone is also where the Colombia Pavilion will be located. In this area, many different civil society organizations will be hosting events, panels, activities, and discussions. Projects will be explained and initiatives will be presented. Many gender-related events appear to be taking place on October 22, while several panels related to sustainable cities and urban planning are scheduled for October 26 and October 28 looks devoted to finance.

Women4Diversity, who published the “Training Module on Advancing Women’s Rights and Gender Equality in the Implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework”, is hosting a number of events on the Gender Plan of Action, as well as a one day conference pre-COP called "Advancing Gender Equality Through Strategic Data Insights".

The Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) will have a Food and Agriculture Pavilion, where they will be hosting a number of side events on such topics as the role of women in peacebuilding and biodiversity conservation, nature-positive agriculture and sustainable food systems, and leveraging AI for framework achievements at the national level.

The Green Zone is known as the People's COP, with venues located throughout Cali, where anyone is welcome to attend the many events hosted by an assortment of civil society organizations. Open to the public, any civil society organization, non-governmental organization, and private sector organization was welcome to apply to have an event, panel, workshop, exhibition, performance, or networking event added to the Green Zone agenda. For example, Espace femmes international, along with other organizations, will be hosting an event in the Green Zone called the "Contributions of Rural Women in Biodiversity Conservation".

Over the next two weeks, continue to watch this space as I post about my thoughts and experiences at COP16.