UN Biodiversity Conference
Source: Photo by Erick Arce
UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 16)
UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15)
Our participation at COP-16 is made possible thanks to the Partnership Engage Grant of the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, obtained in conjunction with Professor Jorge Legoas and her student Kelsey Watt of the Queens University
What is the COP-16 on Biodiversity?
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the governing body of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an international treaty adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
Its objective is to establish commitments and frameworks for action to conserve biological diversity as well as to promote the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.
This year, COP16 will take place in Cali, capital of the department of Valle del Cauca (Colombia), between October 21 and November 1, 2024.
More information about the COP
The theme of this conference is “Peace with Nature”. This is a call for reflection to improve the relationship we have with Nature to rethink an economic model that does not prioritize the extraction, overexploitation and pollution of Nature.
As professor Borrows explains: “If we, as human beings, reconcile ourselves with the Earth, it will be much easier for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to identify the earth as the source to help correlate how we relate together,” says Borrows. “You can think of yourself as an ally with the fish and the birds and the trees. We are citizens together because we are part of a community that is mutually participatory with the impulse to ensure that it isn’t being hierarchal and neglecting voices.”
Open Letter
The theme of this conference is “Peace with Nature“, which invites us to improve our relationship with the environment. For the IORN, the paradigm shift brought about by the recognition of the rights of Nature is closely linked to this theme.
In this regard, the IORN would monitor the progress made by States in promoting such Mother Earth-centred actions, such as the rights of Nature approach.
UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 16)
This year, COP16 will take place in Cali, capital of the department of Valle del Cauca (Colombia), between October 21 and November 1, 2024.
At this COP, countries are expected to present the update of their national biodiversity strategies and action plans in accordance with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. In this context, the status of implementation of the new framework is expected to be reviewed and follow-up mechanisms developed. An important aspect will be work on how to share fairly and equitably the benefits arising from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources.
UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15)
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was signed at COP 15 in Montreal in December 2022. This document is historical because it recognises the rights of Nature as a mechanism to support the implementation of national biodiversity strategies.
Specifically, Section C, which outlines the considerations for implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, underscores the significant roles and contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities as custodians of biodiversity and as partners in its conservation, restoration, and sustainable use.
Furthermore, the Global Framework acknowledges the existence of diverse value systems and gives consideration to the inclusive language of Mother Earth. In this regard, the text recognises, acknowledges and considers the rights of Nature and the rights of Mother Earth as an integral component of the successful implementation of the Framework.
In the same line Target 19 (f) of the Global Biodiversity Framework reads as follows
(f) Enhancing the role of collective actions, including by indigenous peoples and local communities, Mother Earth centric actions and non-market-based approaches including community based natural resource management and civil society cooperation and solidarity aimed at the conservation of biodiversity.”
We need to know that Mother Earth centric actions have been described as follows in the text:
“Ecocentric and rights-based approach enabling the implementation of actions towards harmonic and complementary relationships between peoples and nature, promoting the continuity of all living beings and their communities and ensuring the non-commodification of environmental functions of Mother Earth.”
The document’s language, including the term “Mother Earth” in various contexts, simultaneously acknowledges the intrinsic value of nature. Indeed, numerous indigenous epistemologies posit that nature should be conceptualised as an ancestor with agency. Accordingly, from an indigenous epistemological perspective, it is incumbent upon humanity as a collective to ensure the responsible stewardship of the planet.
In conclusion, this text advocates a comprehensive approach that engages the entire government and society. This suggests that, in addition to the necessity for political will, action and cooperation at all levels of government, there is also a requirement for the involvement and collaboration of all societal actors.
