UN Biodiversity Conference - Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Well-Being

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Friday, 16 December 2016

On Friday, 16 December, delegates addressed draft decisions on several agenda items, including: unintentional transboundary movements, transit, risk assessment and management of living modified organisms (LMOs), and assessment and review under the Cartagena Protocol; capacity building under the Convention and the Protocols; the financial mechanism; cooperation with other conventions; mainstreaming; synthetic biology; guidelines on prior informed consent (PIC) and benefit-sharing under Article 8(j); and ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs). Following agreement in the Friends of the Chair group, two draft decisions were approved on establishing a process for the consideration of digital sequence information on genetic resources in the next biennium under the Convention and the Nagoya Protocol. A contact group on the financial mechanism and the budget group met throughout the day. WG deliberations and informal consultations continued into the night.

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Thursday, 15 December 2016

On Thursday, delegates continued consideration of draft decisions in Working Groups (WG), contact groups and Friends of the Chair groups. WG I addressed draft decisions on financial resources and mechanism, capacity building, and public awareness, resource mobilization, and compliance under the Cartagena Protocol, among others. WG II considered draft decisions on: ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs); synthetic biology; and national reports. Contact groups and Friends of the Chair groups met throughout the day to address: transboundary movements of living modified organisms (LMOs); Article 8(j) (traditional knowledge); capacity building; digital sequence information on genetic resources; EBSAs; synergies; financial mechanism; a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism under the Nagoya Protocol; risk assessment of LMOs; and the budget.

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Wednesday, 14 December 2016

On Wednesday, 14 December, delegates continued negotiations on draft decisions in the Working Groups (WG), contact groups, and Friends of the Chair groups. WG I addressed draft decisions under the Cartagena Protocol on: the roster of experts; cooperation with other conventions; the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH); socioeconomic considerations; and assessment and review. WG I further addressed draft decisions under the Nagoya Protocol on: cooperation with other conventions; the ABS Clearing-House; and the financial mechanism. WG II addressed a draft decision on ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs). Contact groups and Friends of the Chair groups met throughout the day to address: Article 8(j) (traditional knowledge); risk assessment and risk management of living modified organisms (LMOs); mainstreaming; synergies; capacity building; the financial mechanism; and sequence information on genetic resources.

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Tuesday, 13 December 2016

On Tuesday, 13 December, an afternoon plenary held an interactive dialogue on “Living in Harmony with Nature.” Delegates also approved Egypt as host of COP 14 and related Protocol meetings; and Turkey as host of COP 16 and Protocol meetings. Working Group I approved, with minor amendments, a conference room paper (CRP) on progress in the implementation of the awareness-raising strategy; and further addressed CRPs on capacity building under the Nagoya Protocol and the Cartagena Protocol. Working Group II approved, with minor amendments, CRPs on: key scientific and technical needs related to Strategic Plan implementation, including voluntary guidance to improve the accessibility of biodiversity-related data and information; and the glossary under Article 8(j) (traditional knowledge). Working Group II further addressed invasive alien species, and biodiversity and human health.

Deliberations continued in contact groups and Friends of the Chair groups on: mainstreaming; unintentional transboundary movement of living modified organisms; financial resources; synergies; synthetic biology; capacity building; and the budget.

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Monday, 12 December 2016

On Monday, 12 December, WG I approved without, or with minor discussion, conference room papers (CRPs) on: Cartagena Protocol Article 30 (subsidiary bodies); review of progress towards Aichi Target 16 on the Nagoya Protocol; and monitoring and reporting, and use of the term “indigenous peoples and local communities” under the Cartagena Protocol. WG I further heard reports from contact groups and addressed CRPs on: Strategic Plan implementation; compliance under the Nagoya Protocol; integration among the Convention and its Protocols; the Supplementary Protocol on liability and redress under the Cartagena Protocol; assessment and review under the Nagoya Protocol; and the communications strategy.

WG II approved without, or with minor discussion, CRPs on the in-depth dialogue on thematic areas and other cross-cutting issues, best-practice guidelines on TK repatriation, and scientific assessment of progress towards selected Aichi Targets. WG II further addressed: implementation of Aichi Targets 11 (protected areas) and 12 (threatened species); the Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) and IPBES; indicators; and invasive alien species.

Contact groups and Friends of the Chair groups met throughout the day to address: capacity building; unintentional transboundary movements under the Cartagena Protocol; sequence information on genetic resources; global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism under the Nagoya Protocol; biodiversity mainstreaming; the financial mechanism; and synergies.

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Friday, 9 December 2016

On Friday, WG I approved without, or with minor discussion, conference room papers on the SBI modus operandi and mechanisms to support review of implementation under the Convention and its Protocols. WG I further addressed: unintentional transboundary movements, and transit and contained use, of LMOs; and review of implementation of the Strategic Plan. WG II addressed: pollinators; forest biodiversity; biodiversity and climate change; ecosystem restoration; and progress towards Aichi Targets 11 (protected areas) and 12 (threatened species). Contact groups on resource mobilization, the financial mechanism, and risk assessment of LMOs met throughout the day. An evening plenary reviewed progress, adopted decisions and addressed organizational issues.

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Thursday, 8 December 2016

On Thursday, WG I addressed: cooperation with other conventions and organizations; a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism under the Nagoya Protocol; and socioeconomic considerations, liability and redress, risk assessment and risk management, and unintentional transboundary movement of LMOs under the Cartagena Protocol. WG II approved without, or with minor discussion, conference room papers (CRPs) on sustainable wildlife management, UNPFII recommendations and climate-related geo-engineering. WG II further addressed marine debris and underwater noise, marine spatial planning, biodiversity in cold-water areas and pollinators.

The budget group met in the morning. Contact groups on resource mobilization, capacity building, the financial mechanism, synthetic biology and Article 8(j) met throughout the day.

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Wednesday, 7 December 2016

On Wednesday, WG I had morning, afternoon and evening sessions to discuss: the financial mechanism under the Convention and its Protocols; capacity building under the Convention and its Protocols; awareness raising under the Nagoya Protocol; public awareness, education and participation under the Cartagena Protocol; the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH); the ABS Clearing-House; modus operandi under the Convention and its Protocols; integration among the Convention and its Protocols; and cooperation with other conventions and organizations. WG II addressed items related to Article 8(j) (traditional knowledge), the sixth national reports, the Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) and indicators.

The budget group met in the morning. Contact groups on ecologically or biologically sensitive marine areas (EBSAs) and synthetic biology met in the evening. Friends of the Chair groups addressed invasive alien species and resource mobilization.

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Tuesday, 6 December 2016

On Tuesday, 6 December, Working Group I discussed: implementation of Aichi Target 16 on the Nagoya Protocol; the third assessment and review of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; monitoring and reporting under the Cartagena Protocol; compliance under both Protocols; assessment and review under the Nagoya Protocol; and resource mobilization and the financial mechanism under the Convention and both its Protocols. WG II addressed: invasive alien species (IAS); synthetic biology; pollinators; geoengineering; sustainable wildlife management; mainstreaming biodiversity; biodiversity and climate change; forest biodiversity; ecosystem restoration; progress towards Aichi Targets 11 (protected areas) and 12 (threatened species); and biodiversity and human health. Contact groups on IAS, ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) and synthetic biology met throughout the day.

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Monday, 5 December 2016

On Monday morning, plenary heard statements from participants and high-level representatives, including the President of Mexico. In the afternoon, WG I reviewed progress towards implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and achievement of the Aichi Targets. WG II addressed issues related to marine and coastal biodiversity, including ecologically or biologically significant marine areas, biodiversity and acidification in cold-water areas, marine debris and underwater noise, and marine spatial planning; and started deliberations on invasive alien species.

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Sunday, 4 December 2016

Following the conclusion of the High-Level Segment (HLS) and adoption of the Cancun Declaration, the main part of the UN Biodiversity Conference started in the afternoon of Sunday, 4 December, with opening plenaries of the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 13) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CP/COP-MOP 8) and the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (NP/COP-MOP 2).

Plenaries addressed organizational matters, and heard reports and opening statements. Rafael Pacchiano Alamán, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mexico, was elected President of COP 13, CP/COP-MOP 8 and NP/COP-MOP 2. Mette Gervin Damsgaard (Denmark) and Skumsa Mancotywa (South Africa) were elected Chairs of Working Group I and Working Group II, respectively.

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Saturday, 3 December 2016

The HLS met for its final day on Saturday, 3 December, with delegates convening in two parallel roundtable discussions on forests, and fisheries and aquaculture in the morning. In the afternoon, delegates met in a closing plenary to adopt the Cancún Declaration on Mainstreaming the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity for Well-Being. A number of countries also highlighted their enhanced actions towards fulfilling the Aichi Targets under the umbrella of the Cancún Coalitions and Commitments for Enhanced Implementation. HLS Chair Pacchiano gaveled the meeting to a close at 6:34 pm.

Visit the full ENB+ web coverage for Friday, 2 December 2016

On Friday, 2 December 2016, the High-Level Segment (HLS) of the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP13) opened in Cancún, Mexico. Ministers and Heads of Delegation met in plenary in the morning. Two roundtables on agriculture and tourism convened in parallel in the afternoon, moderated by José Calzada, Minister of Agriculture, Mexico and Enrique de la Madrid, Minister of Tourism, Mexico, respectively.

The fourth Midori Prize for Biodiversity honoring outstanding contributions to conservation and sustainable use at local and global levels was awarded to Alfonso Aguirre-Muñoz, Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, Mexico; Yury Darman, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Russia; and Vandana Shiva, Founder and Director, Navdanya, India.