Turkey has withdrawn from hosting the 2024 UN biodiversity summit, citing a force majeure following the three devastating earthquakes earlier in the year, officials confirmed this week.

COP16, or the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, will be the next iteration of the UN’s flagship biodiversity event, held every two years.

The last summit took place in Montreal in December, where nearly 200 nations agreed to the historic Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and a commitment to protect 30% of the world’s nature by 2030.

Turkey was due to host the following event between Oct. 21 and Nov. 1, 2024, but pulled out citing multiple disastrous earthquakes in the country in Feb. 2023, which killed tens of thousands of people and affected millions.

“The Secretariat would like to notify Parties that it has been informed by the Republic of Turkey of Turkey’s decision to withdraw from hosting and presiding over the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity due to a force majeure situation created by the three destructive earthquakes that occurred in February 2023,” said a statement issued by the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), dated July 31.

“The Government of Turkey has expressed its regrets that it had to take this decision. The Secretariat has reiterated its condolences to the Government of Turkey for the losses and conveyed its solidarity in facing the difficult decision taken by the Government in response to the current situation.”

Following Istanbul’s decision, the CBD, the body that organises such summits, has opened a call first to “Parties within the Western European and Others Group” for nations interested in hosting the 2024 event, also proposing to keep the same dates.

By Roy Manuell – roy@carbon-pulse.com