(Biodiversity Conference) COP15 kicks off the "new decade" of global biodiversity restoration
China News Service, Kunming, October 15
China News Agency reporter Hu Yuanhang Chen Jing
The first phase of the Fifteenth Conference of Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity ended in Kunming, China on the afternoon of the 15th.
The conference successfully held a high-level meeting and issued the "Kunming Declaration" to advance the process of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which provided an important guarantee for the success of the next phase of the meeting.
Elizabeth Murema, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, commented, “This conference is an extraordinary conference, which puts the restoration of biodiversity on the road to recovery.”
Provides a high-level political impetus for global biodiversity governance
Affected by the new crown epidemic, the COP15 meeting was postponed twice, and it was finally determined to be held in two phases in October this year and next year.
The first phase of the meeting, which just ended, was held in a combination of online and offline, including high-level meetings, ecological civilization forums, etc., attracting more than 5,000 representatives from more than 140 contracting parties and more than 30 international institutions and organizations.
In the two-day high-level meeting, a total of 9 national dignitaries and the Secretary-General of the United Nations attended the leaders’ summit. A total of 125 ministerial representatives and 24 ambassadors from 119 contracting parties and 26 international institutions and organizations attended the summit. Meeting.
The high standard of the meeting and the large number of national leaders attended this is the first time in the history of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
During the meeting, leaders of many countries and heads of international organizations called on all countries to unite and take pragmatic actions to strengthen global biodiversity protection and ecological environment governance.
Actions should be taken as soon as possible to promote knowledge innovation and benefit sharing, and increase funding, technology and capacity guarantees.
Huang Runqiu, Minister of China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment and Chairman of COP15, said that this high-level meeting provided a high-level political impetus for global biodiversity governance and pointed out the direction for the next stage of work.
The "Kunming Declaration" points out the way for biodiversity restoration in the new decade
The "Kunming Declaration" was adopted at the first phase of the conference on the 13th, which is one of the main results of the conference.
The “Kunming Declaration” promises to ensure the development, adoption and implementation of an effective “Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework” to reverse the current trend of biodiversity loss and ensure that biodiversity is on the road to recovery by 2030 at the latest , And then fully realize the 2050 vision of "harmonious coexistence between man and nature".
In addition, the “Kunming Declaration” also made “increase the financial, technical and capacity-building support needed for developing countries to implement the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework” and “Governments continue to cooperate to promote conservation and Continue to use biodiversity to incorporate or'mainstream' into decision-making, "strengthen and establish an effective protected area system" and other 16 commitments.
Elizabeth Muremma stated that the "Kunming Declaration" reflects the political will of all parties and sends a strong political signal to the international community to curb biodiversity loss.
China's plan, leading the global biodiversity conservation
The theme of this conference is "Ecological Civilization: Building a Community of Life on Earth". This is the first time that the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Environmental Convention has adopted "Ecological Civilization" as the theme of the conference.
During the conference, an ecological civilization forum was also held offline, focusing on topics such as "Responding to Climate Change and Protecting Biodiversity", "Mainstreaming Ecological Civilization and Biodiversity Conservation", "Green Water and Green Mountains Are Golden Mountains and Silver Mountains: From Concept to Practice" In-depth discussions were conducted and the initiative of "Protecting Biodiversity and Building a Global Ecological Civilization" was released.
"Ecological civilization", "Green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains" and other Chinese wisdom have become popular words of this forum.
Inge Annoson, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said that the concept of "green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains" has been widely accepted by Chinese society, which has elevated China's position as a leader in biodiversity conservation.
Elizabeth Muremma praised that the Chinese government has made extraordinary achievements in dealing with global crises such as biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, pollution and climate change, which are fully reflected in the forum.
In addition, this meeting also reviewed the progress of work during the intersessional period of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Conference of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol, and adopted the Convention on Biological Diversity. The 2022 interim budget proposed by the Secretariat provides an important guarantee for the success of the next phase of the meeting.
"Under the special circumstances where the epidemic is still spreading, we can still make progress in some key areas, showing that we have the ability to adapt to changes and can make new progress in the second phase of the meeting next year." Elizabeth Muremma It was revealed that in the second stage, the parties will continue to promote outstanding issues, including reaching an ambitious, pragmatic and balanced framework in Kunming, and formulating financial support and mechanisms that match the framework.
(over)