Representatives from governments around the world have been gathering in Cali, Colombia, for the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
What is CBD COP16?
COP stands for "Conference of the Parties," referring to regular meetings of countries that have ratified a specific UN convention.
In this instance, COP16 marks the sixteenth meeting of the Parties to the CBD, a treaty designed to promote sustainable development through biodiversity conservation.
The last biodiversity conference, COP15, took place in Montreal in December 2022, where the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was established. This framework outlines:
Long-term Goal: Achieving a world in harmony with nature by 2050.
Short-term Targets: Twenty-three specific goals aimed at halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
The CBD, launched during the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, is one of the most widely ratified UN conventions.
It aims to conserve biological diversity, ensure sustainable use of its components, and promote fair sharing of genetic resource benefits.
Parties to the CBD convene every two years to review progress and set new priorities.