European Union

Co-Chairs Francis Ogwal and Basile van Havre The second meeting of the Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (WG) resumed negotiations on the zero draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF) on Tuesday, with delegates providing general remarks on its content. In the afternoon, delegates gathered for the first contact group to negotiate the organization and language of the goals, and to gather views on the language for the GBF mission. The contact group was co-chaired by Rosemary Paterson (New Zealand) and Vinod Mathur (India).During lunch, delegates attended an information session on the outcomes of the First Global Dialogue on Digital Sequence Information (DSI), which took place in Pretoria, South Africa, 6-8 November 2019. Gaute Voigt-Hanssen (Norway) provided an overview of how the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) addresses DSI and stressed the need to better inform negotiators on issues around genetic resources and digital sequences.Elizabeth Karger (Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH) outlined the use of DSI for biodiversity conservation as well as commercial uses. She also presented models of benefit-sharing developed during the dialogue, including bilateral and multilateral benefit-sharing, and benefit-sharing arising from subscription fees/levies. Suhel al-Janabi (ABS Initiative) noted that the models are not mutually exclusive, adding that the goal of the dialogue was to analyze possible approaches to deal with DSI. Lactitia Tshitwamulomoni (South Africa) summarized key points from the dialogue, including that: more dialogue is necessary, including at country, regional, and sectoral levels; the models require further engagement by various stakeholders; and resource mobilization is required for broader issues beyond benefit-sharing.In the evening, the second contact group co-chaired by Wadzanayi Goredema-Mandivenyi (South Africa) and Gabriele Obemayr (Austria) met to negotiate the organization and language on targets on reducing threats to biodiversity.After a first day of general statements and appreciation for the efforts taken to deliver a zero draft, delegates entered the second day of negotiations with expectations of tackling what some referred to as the substance of the GBF. As negotiations proceeded in two contact groups, participants expressed the need to leave the second WG with a simplified, yet ambitious GBF that is coherent with the objectives of the CBD and other global goals. Yet, many agreed that this is no easy feat as simplicity and ambition are not synonymous. While some cautioned that ambition needs to be commensurate with parties’ implementation ability, others argued that a specific goal on means of implementation is necessary to support the level of desired ambition. As contact group discussions on threats to biodiversity advanced into the night, some delegates, noting the continued pursuit for perfection, urged for flexibility to avoid paralyzing the process. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage. Α summary and analysis report from the 2nd Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Plenary Session View of the dais during the plenary session Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean Keiichi Nakazawa, Japan William Dunbar, UN University Edwin Tambara, African Wildlife Foundation El Khitma El Awad Mohammed, Sudan Irene Hoffmann, FAO Lara Samaha, Lebanon, with Belal Qtishat, Jordan Informal meeting during the lunch break Contact Groups Vinod Mathur, India, and Rosemary Paterson, New Zealand, co-chaired the Contact Group on Goals, Mission, and CBD Decisions Eric Okoree, Ghana Leonardo Cleaver de Athayde, Brazil Murillo Ferrer, Colombia, with Andrea Cruz-Angón, Mexico Vida Posavec Vukelić, Croatia, with Janne Kotiaho, Finland Jane Smart, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with Braulio Ferreira De Souza Dias, University of Brasilia Co-Chairs and Secretariat conferring during a break in negotiations Moustafa Fouda and Hamdallah Zedan, Egypt Martha Mphatso Kalemba, Malawi Yangzhao Sun, China From L-R: Contact group on Threats to Biodiversity Co-Chairs Wadzanayi Goredema-Mandivenyi, South Africa and Gabriele Obermayr, Austria; and Alexander Shestakov, CBD Secretariat Belal Qtishat, Jordan Nele Marien, Friends of the Earth International Andi Rusandi, Indonesia Delegates from Africa coordinating during a break in negotiations Delegates from the EU conferring Information Session: Digital Sequence Information (DSI) From L-R: Lactitia Tshitwamulomoni, South Africa; Gaute Voigt-Hanssen, Norway; Suhel al-Janabi, ABS Initiative; and Elizabeth Karger, Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Suhel al-Janabi, ABS Initiative Moustafa Fouda, Egypt Elizabeth Karger, GIZ  

Inka Gnittke, Germany, offering carnival props to the Co-Chairs, as a gesture of support against the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in Northern Italy and the subsequent cancellation of the last two days of the famous Venetian carnival. The second meeting of the Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (WG) kicked off on Monday, tackling procedural agenda items and listening to general statements on the zero draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF).During the opening, Co-Chair Basile van Havre thanked the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for the expeditious relocation of the meeting, from Kunming to Rome, following the Coronavirus outbreak in China. Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General, provided an overview of FAO’s relevant initiatives to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, stressing that biodiversity is vital for food production.Hamdallah Zedan, Ministry of Environment, Egypt, speaking on behalf of CBD 14th Conference of the Parties (COP 14) President Yasmine Fouad, underlined the GBF's importance in providing a detailed plan of action to reduce biodiversity loss, which is taking place at an alarming rate and requires urgent response. Xia Yingxian, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the FAO, on behalf of the incoming COP 15 President Li Ganjie, underscored the need for goals and targets that follow the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) criteria, and the need to ensure accountability and transparency in the process.Elizabeth Mrema, Acting CBD Executive Secretary, expressed hope that parties and stakeholders would build a common understanding of the different elements on the GBF, in order to make progress at this meeting.During lunch, delegates attended an information session, titled, “Biodiversity, Agriculture, and Food.” This session, chaired by Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, former CBD Executive Secretary, highlighted the FAO’s work for sustainable food production, ecosystem health, and resilient livelihoods. Presentations included: Hans Hoogeveen, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the UN Organizations for Food and Agriculture, on expectations of the agricultural sectors from the GBF; François Pythoud, Chair, FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, on FAO’s work on biodiversity for food and agriculture; René Castro Salazar, Assistant Director-General, Climate, Biodiversity, Land and Water, FAO, on FAO Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity across the Agricultural Sectors; Irene Hoffmann, FAO, who provided highlights of the organization’s upcoming work on biodiversity; and Stephan Weise, Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, on using agricultural biodiversity for resilience and nutrition. The opening of the second meeting of the WG confirmed the renewed sense of passion in the biodiversity community, in the past six months. The list of intersessional meetings and multiple consultations was received with great appreciation. While regional groups, intergovernmental organizations, and civil society all highlighted the urgency of addressing biodiversity loss and reversing the alarming negative trends, delegates and participants spared no time delving into the specifics necessary for a successful GBF. The lion’s share of discussions in the margins of the meeting revolved around implementation, monitoring, reporting, and review, spearheaded by a thematic consultation held in Rome prior to the meeting. As negotiations unfolded into concrete thematic discussions, most participants seemed to agree that the building blocks of a successful GBF are within grasp, notwithstanding the significant challenges that lie ahead. Especially the need to strike a delicate balance that keeps parties satisfied, while prioritizing the achievement of the three objectives of the Convention.A reception hosted by the FAO brought the day's work to a festive end, as delegates prepared for rigorous negotiations in contact groups to begin on Tuesday. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage. Α summary and analysis report from the 2nd Meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework is available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page From L-R: Co-Chair Francis Ogwal; Co-Chair Basile van Havre; and Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, CBD Secretariat Qu Dongyu, Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), and Co-Chair Francis Ogwal Elizabeth Mrema, Acting Executive Secretary, CBD Secretariat Elizabeth Mrema, Acting Executive Secretary, CBD Secretariat, and Qu Dongyu, Director-General, FAO Qu Dongyu, Director-General, FAO Xia Yingxian, China Hamdallah Zedan, Ministry of Environment, Egypt, speaking on behalf of CBD 14th Conference of the Parties (COP 14) President Yasmine Fouad Co-Chair Basile van Havre Kent Nnadozie, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) Secretary Walters Tubua, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Norbert Bärlocher, Switzerland View of the dais during the opening plenary Ana Kobašlić, Croatia for the EU Rosemary Paterson, New Zealand Jane Smart, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Aslak Holmberg, Saami Council Anne Larigauderie, Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Vinod Mathur, India CBD Deputy Executive Secretary David Cooper, with Nader Ibrahim, CBD Secretariat Delegates from the African region Safety precautions were taken due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in Northern Italy. Wadzanayi Goredema-Mandivenyi, South Africa Marie Haraldstad, Norway Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, CBD Secretariat Information Session: Biodiversity, Agriculture, and Food From L-R: François Pythoud, Chair, FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) 18; Irene Hoffmann, CGRFA Secretary; and Stephan Weise, Alliance of Bioversity International and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) René Castro Salazar, Assistant-Director General, Climate, Biodiversity, Land, and Water Department, FAO CBD Deputy Executive Secretary David Cooper Hans Hoogeveen, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the UN Organizations for Food and Agriculture, and Elizabeth Mrema, Acting Executive Secretary, CBD Secretariat Reception Hosted by the FAO  

Highlights for Saturday, 22 February 2020 © Kazakhstan/CADI The Committee of the Whole (CoW) of the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CMS COP13) resumed Saturday morning to approve the remaining conference room papers and forward them to the COP for adoption. The COP opened in the afternoon and adopted by consensus all resolutions, decisions, and amendments to the appendices forwarded from the CoW. The CoP also adopted the Gandhinagar Declaration, which affirms that maintaining and restoring ecological connectivity is one of the top priorities for CMS, and calls for ecological connectivity and the important role of CMS to be effectively reflected in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Amy Fraenkel, Executive Secretary, CMS, thanked Fernando Spina and Øystein Størkersen for their work in chairing the Scientific Council and the Standing Committee, respectively. Regional groups then presented their nominations for the Standing Committee and Scientific Council, which were accepted by the COP. In her closing remarks, South Africa lamented the loss of migratory species predicted to go extinct if no urgent action is taken. She recognized the importance of listing species under the appendices to avert extinction and asked parties to step up efforts to implement the Convention. France announced it would make a voluntary contribution to a project linking connectivity of migratory species and ecosystem resilience. The EU highlighted progress made during this COP. She underscored the escalating threats facing biodiversity, and that listings of species in CMS’ appendices should not be celebrated but rather catalyze greater action to protect them. She also noted that the greatest successes are achieved together through cooperation. Finally, she called on parties with contributions in arrears to make their due payments. Fraenkel highlighted that CMS COP13 was the largest ever in the history of the Convention, with 2,550 people attending including 263 delegates representing 82 Parties, 11 delegates from five non-Party countries, 50 representatives from UN agencies, 70 representatives of international NGOs, 127 representatives of national NGOs, and over 100 members of both national and international media. She underscored that ten new species were added to CMS Appendices at COP13, including seven to Appendix I: the Asian Elephant, Jaguar, Great Indian Bustard, Bengal Florican, Little Bustard, Antipodean Albatross and the Oceanic White-tip Shark. The COP was gavelled to a close at 5:18 pm. 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 For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page The CoW proceeds on the final day of the COP Ariuntuya Dorjisuren, Mongolia Richard Thompson, United Kingdom François Lamarque, France Anna Gureva, Malta Sue Lieberman, Wildlife Conservation Society; Jose Palazzo and Igor Barbosa, Brazil Narelle Montgomery, Australia Holly Mennell, UK; and Jan Brojac, Czech Republic Anne Burrill, Gilles River and Ivana Jelenic, the EU Marco Barbieri, CMS Secretariat, consulting with Amy Fraenkel, CMS Executive Secretary Delegates huddle during a coffee break Igor Barbosa, Brazil Gilles River, the EU View of the dais Shohel Rana, Bangladesh Fernando Spina and Øystein Størkersen were recognized for their work chairing the Scientific Council and the Standing Committee, respectively. Delegates applauding the adoption of the outcome document Vice-Chair of COP Babul Supriyo giving the closing remarks COP Chair Soumitra Dasgupta gavels the meeting to a close. CoW Chair Akankwasah Barirega, Amy Fraenkel, CMS Executive Secretary, and COP Chair Soumitra Dasgupta pose for a family photo with members of the CMS Secretariat. Around the Venue Indian conference staff pose for a family photo

Highlights for Thursday, 20 February 2020 © Kazakhstan/CADI Chair Akankwasah Barirega (Uganda) opened the Committee of the Whole (CoW) with reports from Chairs of Working Groups: the Budget and Terrestrial Species Working Groups reported that they are on track to finish their work by the end of the day. The Chair of the Avian Working Group said that a contact group will meet in the evening to discuss outstanding issues, including illegal killing.The CoW Chair also noted that nominations for COP-appointed councillors had been received in each subject area, and requested that Australia chair an open contact group to review them and make selection recommendations.The CoW then proceeded to consider and adopt listing proposals in CMS Appendices, including: Jaguar, proposed for inclusion in Appendix I and II, due to severe threats to its migratory corridors and habitats; Urial sheep, proposed for inclusion in Appendix II, with annotation that the listing concerns only populations within the Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI) range; Great Indian bustard, proposed for inclusion in Appendix I, including the development of a concerted action, due to the highly endangered status of the species; Bengal florican, proposed for inclusion in Appendix II; Little bustard, proposed for inclusion in Appendix I and II, due to severe declines; Antipodean albatross, proposed for inclusion in Appendix I, due to its endangered status and its importance for the Ngāi Tahu, a Māori indigenous tribe in New Zealand; and Oceanic white-tip shark, proposed for inclusion in Appendix I, due to its critically endangered status and it being targeted for its fins and meat. There were also two proposals with different geographical scope to list the smooth hammerhead shark; one by Brazil for the regional population occurring in the exclusive economic zone of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and adjacent international waters, and one by the EU for all populations worldwide. In their introductory statements, Brazil referred to the species' unfavourable conservation status and it being targeted by artisanal and industrial fisheries, while the EU emphasized that the species was highly migratory. While many parties supported a global listing, Australia opposed the listing for its population, deploring that it had not been duly consulted before the proposal was made, and explaining that the population in the vast Australian waters does not meet the migratory criterion. After Australia's proposal to exempt its population from the scope had received both support and opposition by parties, the matter was put to a vote: With 9 in favor, 47 opposed, and 5 abstentions, Australia's proposal was rejected. In the subsequent vote, the EU's global listing proposal was approved with 58 in favor, 1 opposed, and 3 abstentions. In both votes, the EU voted with 28 votes including the UK, while several votes by other parties could not be counted due to unconfirmed credentials. The proposal was forwarded to the COP for adoption.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 For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page The Conference of the Whole continues on the fourth day of the COP Malta Qwathekana, South Africa Barry Baker, Australia Carmen Yineth Medina Gonzalez, Panama Noyal Thommas, India Alokparna Sengupta, Humane Society International Jan Brojac, Czech Republic, consulting with Richard Thompson, United Kingdom Ian Redmond, CMS Ambassador Gajadeera Prasad, Sri Lanka Igor Barbosa, Brazil Timothy John, Nigeria Mark Ryan, International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) A vote on a proposal taking place during the CoW Abdullah Hakami speaking with delegates from UAE Ngwane Brilliant Dlamini, Eswatini Arif Shamkhi Jaber Alsalim, Iraq Amy Fraenkel, CMS Executive Secretary, consulting with CoW Chair Akankwasah Barirega, and members of the CMS Secretariat Fernando Spina, Italy Brett Sommermeyer, Sea Shepherd Legal Alex Macdonald, New Zealand Signing Ceremony of Sharks MoU Amy Fraenkel, CMS Executive Secretary, signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Paolo Cavalcanti, Divers For Sharks Amy Fraenkel, CMS Executive Secretary, signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sarah Fowler, Save Our Seas Foundation Around the Venue © Kate Harris © Kate Harris © Kate Harris © Kate Harris © Kate Harris