Highlights and images for 25 August 2021

The third meeting of the Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework resumed to complete the first reading of the draft post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF). Two contact groups took place on: goals, milestones, and overall structure of the GBF; and on digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources.

During resumed discussions on the GBF in plenary, Parties urged, among other things, ensuring that the GBF lays out a clear path to “building back better” from the pandemic, and simplified language to ensure citizens understand its content. Observers, inter alia, called for a human rights-based approach, and inclusivity of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and stakeholders, including women and youth.

The contact group on goals, milestones, and overall structure of the GBF, co-led by Nobert Bärlocher (Switzerland) and Vinod Mathur (India), initiated its deliberations after plenary. They began their discussions on the section on the 2050 goals and 2030 milestones, which contains four long-term goals for 2050 related to the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity, and a number of corresponding milestones to assess, in 2030, progress towards the 2050 goals. During this first meeting of the group, delegates provided views and submitted text amendments for Goal A on enhancing ecosystem integrity, connectivity, and healthy resilient populations. They thereafter began discussions on Goal B on nature’s contributions to people.

Co-led by Lactitia Tshitwamulomoni (South Africa) and Gaute Voigt-Hanssen (Norway), the contact group on DSI on genetic resources addressed a paper prepared by the Co-Leads on the basis of plenary discussions, which included sections on: organization of the work of the contact group; elements of a draft recommendation on DSI; text proposals related to DSI in the GBF; and other related text proposals. Delegates engaged first in a general round of reflections and then submitted text proposals on elements of a draft recommendation.