Biodiversity Conference in Colombia suspended after two landmark achievements
Despite the positive “buzz” and numerous calls to action governments did not come to Cali ready to move at the pace and ambition needed. The outcomes may be underwhelming, but it is not too late. At BirdLife, we remain dedicated to delivering outcomes for nature, climate and people.
By Nina Mikander, Global Director of Policy and Influence, BirdLife International
The global conservation community descended on Cali, Colombia for the 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity – CBD COP16 – for two weeks of negotiations from mid-October to early November 2024. Following the adoption of the historic Global Biodiversity Framework (global goals to protect nature) at COP15 in 2022, the focus of this meeting was all about moving from promises to action.
The need for transformational action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss is more urgent than ever: 60% of all bird species are declining and 1 in 8 are at risk of extinction. Nature underpins the very existence of us all.
This sense of urgency coupled with a feeling of innovation and hope was tangible across the conference, the city of Cali and reflected in BirdLife’s Messages of Hope Campaign. Governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples and local communities were out in force. Additionally, around 3000 business and finance sector delegates attended COP16.
Outside of the negotiation rooms organisations, including BirdLife, presented a wide array of tangible examples of conservation action. This included efforts to mobilise additional sources of finance for nature and collaborations across stakeholder groups. Over 20 BirdLife Partners were represented at CBD COP16 either as part of government delegations or to advocate and present conservation work across the wide array of side events.
”The world is not moving at the pace and scale needed. Nature needs more than a compromise and a stalemate. Unless something shifts, when we meet again in Armenia in 2026 the scale of the challenge will only be bigger. These outcomes are too little, but it’s not yet too late.”
Martin Harper, CEO, BirdLife International.
Negotiation outcomes include a historic decision to establish a new body on matters related to Indigenous Peoples and local communities as well as a decision to implement the multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism for use of digital sequence information. Additional outcomes to celebrate include the establishment of the Cali Fund, aiming to bridge at least part of the biodiversity finance gap through voluntary payments from private sector that benefit from nature.
It was clear however, that despite the positive “buzz” and numerous calls to action governments did not come to Cali ready to move at the pace and ambition needed. The COP was suspended – not closed – as the meeting ran over into Saturday morning there were no longer enough governments in the room to take final decisions on outstanding items including resource mobilisation and budget.
The outcomes may be underwhelming, but it is not too late. We must find ways to move faster, both in terms of national implementation as well as sector-wide change where the footprint on nature weighs most heavy. At BirdLife, we remain dedicated to delivering outcomes for nature, climate and people.
