Featured image: Convention on Biological Diversity

The Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed that Colombia will host the next United Nations Biodiversity Conference from October 21 to November 1, 2024. This conference will combine several important meetings, including COP 16, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and the Nagoya Protocol. It will feature a high-level ministerial segment.

COP 16 marks the first Biodiversity COP since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP 15 in December 2022. At COP 16, governments will assess the progress made in implementing the Framework, ensuring alignment with National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. Additionally, COP 16 aims to further develop the monitoring framework and enhance resource mobilization. Notably, it will finalize and operationalize a multilateral mechanism for fair and equitable sharing of benefits from digital sequence information on genetic resources.

The previous Biodiversity Summit was hosted by Canada and China in December 2022, culminating in the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This framework outlines ambitious goals, including protecting 30% of the planet and restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems, guiding global nature conservation efforts until 2030.