Its Curtains for COP 16 OF UNCBD at Cali Colombia

 By Malini Shankar

Digital Discourse Foundation

Cali, Colombia 2.11.24

Curtains are drawn close at Cali Colombia for the 16th Conference of Parties at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. The “Parties” made a grand yet sincere attempt at putting People before the Planet – to be a democratic exercise. There are some bits of good news and some bad.

There has been fiscal commitments to DSI or Digital Sequence Information, but Sandra Valenzuela of WWF said at a Press Conference on closing day that fiscal commitment is not the same thing as funding.

If cop 16 does not resolve issues of funding we are sitting on a hot potato. COP 16 is all about implementation... 119 countries have submitted NBSAPs. 44 are revising. 65% have submitted NBSAPs. Except India, Iran, Russia and Argentina others have submitted national targets n NBSAPs. Resource mobilization arena nothing is agreed till everything is agreed. Global north n south have to agree ... New funds is not the same as funding”.

This COP is about implementation...COP 16 is close to finalising global plan of action. 1st is biodiversity and health. Link between biodiversity loss and increase in viruses, makes Biodiversity conservation critical; at stake is Humanity’s health.

Vishesh Uppal, Director of WWF India said, while addressing the Press Conference " DSI funding is absolutely mandatory and has to be finalized here and now. Last mile is a very steep climb”.

Agreements were reached on Digital Sequence Information, Article 8(J) and EBSA at COP16, but critical decisions on finance have been postponed to the next interim meeting in Bangkok.

The Conference established a Subsidiary Body on Article 8(J) and related provisions on Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and adopted a decision on the multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism from the use of digital sequence information, but was suspended before adopting the budget and finance-related decisions.

India has a premier advantage, - India legislated the Biodiversity Act back in 2002and thanks to late Former Prime Minister Sri A.B. Vajpayee heeding experts like Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, Biodiversity Committees, and registries have been digitised at national, state, district and village Panchayat levels. Yes mutually beneficial partnerships are still to be drawn sustainably.

But if a separate tribunal or legislative body has to be set up for indigenous people then a wildlife Parliament is also necessary. Wildlife wardens then become representatives for the Wildlife.

Putting People before the Planet – in deference to democratic governance all the same does not exactly put the Biodiversity conservation on Priority. 

Comments

  1. R. S. ShekhawatNovember 2, 2024 at 11:00 AM

    Very well said. Although Biodiversity Act in India came into existence in 2002 in India, and state Biodiversity Boards have been formed but these institutions are toothless, actionless and mere eyewash with no impact on Biodiversity on ground. So to save Biodiversity a seperate organization with full powers and visionary policies with adequate funding needs to be in place.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mamtha RajeshNovember 2, 2024 at 7:04 PM

    Informative piece. I was not aware of this. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

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