New recommendations on how to enhance cooperation between biodiversity-related conventions are expected at the Bern III Conference, which will take place over Jan. 23-25, in a bid to boost the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
The conference – hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – will see the participation of up to 150 people from 70 countries, including representatives of the parties of each convention as well as members of international organisations and other key stakeholder groups.
Conventions represented at Berna III include the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
LACK OF SYNERGY
The lack of synergies between biodiversity-related conventions and other multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) was underscored during the COP15 UN biodiversity summit, which saw delegates from 196 countries reach an agreement on the GBF.
Notably, decision 15/13 invited the governing bodies to enhance cooperation, stressing the need for “mutual support, at global, regional, subregional, national and subnational levels”. It also welcomed the efforts put in place with the Bern Process, launched in 2019 to bolster collaboration between MEAs.
“Cooperation among MEAs is crucial to achieving the GBF’s four goals and 23 targets, as the drivers of biodiversity loss span all of society, and efforts are already underway to tackle many of them,” said the Bern III Conference co-chairs Clarisse Kehler Siebert, senior policy advisor at Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, and Camila Isabel Zepeda Lizama, director general for global affairs at Mexican ministry of foreign affairs.
“The task at hand is urgent and enormous – about 1 million species face extinction, many within decades, and the biosphere is being altered to an unparalleled degree. We need transformative change, and the GBF makes it clear that our best hope for achieving it is to work collaboratively, in line with the respective mandates of the conventions, but cognisant that the objectives are interconnected.”
Bern III aims to identify opportunities and practical solutions fostering a collaborative approach in implementing the GBF framework, said Patricia Kameri-Mbote, director of the law division at UNEP.
“For example, climate change is a key driver of biodiversity loss, and there is a large potential for synergies through nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches, though, without appropriate safeguards, some actions to tackle climate change – such as tree plantations for bioenergy and large-scale hydropower plants – can further harm biodiversity,” Bern III co-chairs said in a discussion paper released ahead of the conference.
“Further engagement with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) would thus be very valuable.”
THE CONFERENCE GOALS
As a first step to foster cooperation, the conference aims to “align joint work programmes on specific topics across MEAs with the goals and targets of the GBF”.
According to a preliminary cross-mapping carried out by UNEP, five out of 23 GBF targets are shared by all seven MEAs taken into account in the analysis – CITES, CMS, UNESCO, Ramsar, International Plant Protection Convention, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.
The conference also plans to identify “custodian conventions” for specific GBF targets. It’s the case of CITES for Target 5, which aims to ensure that the “use, harvesting, and trade of wild species is sustainable, safe, and legal”.
MEAs should play an active role in shaping the future work of CBD by suggesting new indicators or monitoring methodologies and contributing to the measurement of the global progress towards the GBF goals, the discussion paper said.
According to Bern III co-chairs, the conference will discuss appointing a special UN rapporteur on synergies between MEAs.
“This role could include, for example, monitoring and reporting on progress in cross-cutting issues between MEAs, addressing requests by MEA governing bodies to research and issue special reports on cross-cutting challenges and solutions, and monitoring developments in the Bern Process,” the paper said.
Bern III is also set to explore means to enhance cooperation on National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).
“The NBSAP update process is by no means the only avenue for enhancing cooperation on biodiversity-related issues, but it presents a particularly valuable and timely opportunity,” the discussion paper said.
Countries are required to update their NBSAPs before CBD COP16, which will be hosted in Colombia starting Oct. 21, or at least to submit new national targets aligned with the GBF.
China published its NBSAP on Thursday, confirming its commitment to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030 as set out in the GBF.
By Sergio Colombo – sergio@carbon-pulse.com
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