The bureau of the Convention on Biological Diversity recently announced new dates for the UN Biodiversity Conference.
Initially scheduled for October 2020, the fifteenth meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-15), will now take place from 17 to 30th May 2021, in Kunming, China.
An international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity
Signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty for “the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources.”
The purpose of the UN Biodiversity Conference is “to address all threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, including threats from climate change, through scientific assessments, the development of tools, incentives and processes, the transfer of technologies and good practices and the full and active involvement of relevant stakeholders including indigenous and local communities, youth, NGOs, women and the business community”.
Towards a post-2020 global biodiversity framework
According to the bureau, the UN Biodiversity Conference will be “crucial to the development of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework, ensuring that the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity is integrated into policies that will guide the post-pandemic economic and development recovery plans.”
Despite these adjustments, the bureau of the Convention on Biological Diversity “remains committed to developing a robust and ambitious post-2020 global framework, which in turn is expected to play a significant role in building resilience and galvanising international cooperation in the face of growing environmental, health and development challenges.”