Highlights and images for 4 July 2019

Norway

Summary

Highlights for Thursday, 4 July 2019

From L-R: Session Chair Asghar Fazel, ECO Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Iran; Mphatso Martha Kalemba, Malawi; Katia Karousakis, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Verona Collantes-Lebale, UN Women; Francis Ogwal, Uganda; and Basile van Havre, Canada

On Thursday, participants to the Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity heard presentations on developing the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, and engaged in an interactive exercise on the post-2020 framework and what is needed to achieve the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity on "Living in harmony with nature." In the evening, participants enjoyed a concert in the Nidaros Cathedral.Francis Ogwal, Uganda, and Basile van Havre, Canada, Co-Chairs of the Open-ended Working Group on the post-2020 framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), presented on the ongoing consultation process and the Working Group's goals, targets, and milestones. They shared key messages emerging from regional consultations, including that the post-2020 framework should: be well articulated and easy to communicate; build on the current Strategic Plan; include specific, measurable, ambitious, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) targets; integrate the CBD protocols, and address synergies with other conventions and linkages with climate change; and address enablers, including means of implementation.Mphatso Martha Kalemba, Malawi, shared lessons learnt from efforts to implement the Aichi targets in her country. Katia Karousakis, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), highlighted calls for smarter post-2020 targets, building on the effective elements of the existing framework, and added that multi-country datasets could provide guidance on indicators. Verona Collantes-Lebale, UN Women, called for clear links to the SDGs, and drew attention to expert recommendations that the post-2020 framework must be rights-based, inclusive, and gender responsive, and promote effective participation in biodiversity conservation.Norbert Baerlocher, Switzerland, presented on the outcomes of the consultation workshop of the biodiversity-related conventions on the post-2020 framework (June 2019, Bern, Switzerland). Malta Qwathekane, South Africa, noted that a common agenda is essential for halting biodiversity loss and environmental degradation. Hamdallah Zedan, Egypt, indicated that the post-2020 framework can help foster coherent implementation of the Rio Conventions through collaborative work between focal points. Kerstin Stendahl, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Secretariat, presented on strategies and strategy processes in other sectors where there are biodiversity-related impacts and dependencies, with a focus on the IPCC and the chemicals and waste cluster. Akanksha Khatri, World Economic Forum (WEF) Centre for Global Public Goods, drew attention to WEF's 2019 Global Risks Report, which shows that societal and environmental risks are among those with the highest impact and highest likelihood of happening, and urged moving from a project-oriented to a platform approach. Participants discussed, among other issues: avoiding different sets of targets under the SDGs and the post-2020 framework; the importance of national-level coordination; and new technologies, including the need for transparency and a conversation on ethics and values. Introducing the interactive exercise, Neville Ash elaborated on possible ingredients for the post-2020 framework, including: vision and mission; review and accounting mechanisms; implementation mechanisms and enablers; and integration with the agendas of other multilateral environmental agreements. He also highlighted the need to address the overall structure of the framework, as well as targets relating to outcomes, benefits, drivers and enablers. Participants met in small groups to address these elements in the context of selected topics, including: sustainable production and consumption; mainstreaming; sustainable use; food and agriculture; and protected areas.

IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and a summary report from the 9th Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity. The summary report is now available in HTML and PDF.

Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis

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Francis Ogwal, Uganda
Mphatso Martha Kalemba, Malawi
Georgina Catacora-Vargas, Bolivia
Adefires Worku Gizaw, Ethiopia
Session Chair Asghar Fazel, with facilitator Natasha Walker
Session Chair Teona Karchava, Georgia, with Eva Degre, Norway
Verona Collantes-Lebale, UN Women
Katia Karousakis, OECD
Mohamed Ali, Somalia
Alexander Shestakov, CBD Secretariat
Akanksha Khatri, World Economic Forum
Kerstin Stendahl, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Secretariat (IPCC)
Norbert Baerlocher, Switzerland
Hamdallah Zedan, Egypt
Interactive Session on the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
Jake Rice, Canada
Neville Ash, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre
Irene Hoffmann, Food and Agriculture of Organization of the UN (FAO)

Participants