Summary
Highlights for Tuesday, 18 February 2020
The Committee of the Whole (CoW) met throughout the day. On budget, the Secretariat reported to the CoW that despite the widespread acknowledgement that migratory species are at a critical crossroads, funding is sorely lacking, with arrears totally nearly €1 million and only 14% of the Programme of Work (PoW) funded. She lamented that this has detracted from the Secretariat’s work and prevented key staffing positions from being filled, leading to a “downward spiral”. Drawing attention to the fact that the Secretariat only received 14% of the budget required to implement the 2018-2020 Programme of Work, and was facing unprecedented levels of arrears, she urged parties pay their arrears and to make their annual contributions early if possible. She noted that:
UK, Switzerland, Seychelles, and Bangladesh called for urgent action to stop the loss of migratory wildlife and their habitats, and for parties to be ambitious not only with regard to targets and work plans, but when discussing and deciding the budget. UK, supported by Switzerland, Israel, Australia and New Zealand supported the Secretariat's proposal, noting that there are few options available to ensure payment of dues, and that adequate and predictable funding is required for CMS to function properly. Brazil acknowledged the lack of funding and resulting “deficit of implementation,” but, supported by Argentina, Peru, and Costa Rica, objected to the addition of a clause that would restrict the activities of members in arrears for three years or more, noting that this would affect 20% of members and compromise conservation of migratory species. The CoW also discussed, among other topics:
In the evening, working groups established by the CoW met, including the Budget Committee and Avian, Terrestrial and Aquatic Working Groups. At a side event hosted by Toyota and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, dignitaries discussed supporting implementation of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and the SDGs, and the role business can play in supporting conservation and the transition to a more sustainable world. For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin.
IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and producde a summary and analysis report from CMS COP13 which is now available in HTML and PDF.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Sean Wu
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Plenary
The Road Ahead: Toyota and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
