United Nations to Host Biodiversity Negotiations in Rome - Critical United Nations talks on biodiversity, which aim to secure funding to curb environmental destruction, are set to resume in Rome from February 25 to 27. The UN announced the decision following the failure of negotiations held earlier this month in Colombia to reach a consensus.
The meeting, dubbed COP16, was the largest biodiversity summit to date and aimed to address pressing issues like deforestation, overexploitation, climate change, and pollution. Despite extending discussions beyond the scheduled time, the November 2 meeting in Cali, Colombia, concluded without a clear roadmap for financing biodiversity protection. A quorum could not be established as many delegates had already departed.
The upcoming talks in Rome will take place at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters. These discussions will focus on unresolved financial issues and other pressing matters, the UN said.
Colombia’s Environment Minister Susana Muhamad, who presides over COP16, expressed determination to achieve consensus. “In the weeks to come, and during our meeting in Rome this February, I will work alongside parties to build the trust and consensus needed to achieve Peace with Nature,” she said. Muhamad emphasized that securing a robust financial agreement would be central to the negotiations.
Financial Challenges at the Forefront
Funding has emerged as a contentious issue in recent UN environmental negotiations, especially against the backdrop of global economic and political uncertainties. Wealthy nations pledged $300 billion annually at the recent climate talks, but this figure was deemed insufficient by many developing countries.
At the Cali summit, over 23,000 participants gathered to review progress on biodiversity targets established in Canada in 2022. These include safeguarding 30 percent of land and sea areas, reducing pollution, and eliminating harmful agricultural subsidies by 2030.
As part of these efforts, countries had agreed to mobilize $200 billion annually for biodiversity protection, with $30 billion set aside for transfers from richer to poorer nations. However, negotiations remained deadlocked, particularly on the detailed allocation of these funds.
Progress and Challenges
While the Cali meeting made strides in enhancing Indigenous representation and discussions on profit-sharing from genetic resources, disagreements over funding mechanisms hindered broader progress.
New research underscores the urgency of action, revealing that over a quarter of assessed plants and animals are now at risk of extinction. Currently, only 17.6 percent of land and inland waters, and 8.4 percent of oceanic and coastal areas, are protected and conserved.
The Rome talks aim to bridge the divide between rich and poor nations and finalize a framework to prevent the ongoing destruction of the natural world.
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