How does China make COP15 reach a "reliable" consensus?

　　China News Agency, Montreal, December 21st: How can China make COP15 reach a "reliable" consensus?

　　China News Agency reporter Yu Ruidong

　　Stand at thirty.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, mankind once again set new goals to save Mother Earth and protect global biodiversity.

How important is this consensus?

　　When 2022 enters the countdown to farewell, the "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework" (the "Framework"), as a recognized "historic" outcome document, was recently held in Montreal, Canada under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Adopted at the second phase of the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15).

　　Regrettably, the global biodiversity loss has not been reversed over the past 30 years, with as many as 1 million species threatened with extinction.

None of the 20 targets set by the world's first 10-year biodiversity conservation plan, the "Aichi Targets", will be fully achieved by 2020.

The opportunity to save nature has been repeatedly delayed.

　　United Nations Secretary-General Guterres sternly warned in Montreal that the loss of nature and biodiversity will cost humans a heavy price, and humans should be responsible for the damage they have caused to nature.

The heads of international organizations and senior representatives of the parties to the convention acknowledged that human beings have no "Planet B" and no more time.

　　The "Framework" is an important program document that needs to set goals and clarify paths for joint response to crises when human beings stand at the crossroads of protecting biodiversity and realizing sustainable development.

The "Framework" sets four long-term goals for global biodiversity conservation by 2050 and 23 action goals by 2030, among which the "3030" goal is established, that is, by 2030, at least 30% of the world's terrestrial and ocean.

It's an ambitious goal.

　　In order to achieve the "framework", China, as the presidency of COP15, has played the role of "Mr. Key".

China actively plays a leading role

　　The theme of COP15 is "Ecological Civilization: Building a Community of Life on Earth".

This is the first time that the General Assembly of the United Nations system adopts the concept of "ecological civilization" advocated by China as the theme.

This is also a major contribution of the presidency to global biodiversity governance and environmental governance.

　　China is one of the countries with the richest biodiversity in the world.

In recent decades, China has spared no effort to rescue and protect rare and endangered species.

China is also one of the first parties to sign and ratify the Convention on Biological Diversity, the largest contributor to the core budget of the Convention and its protocols, and the largest contributor to the Global Environment Facility from developing countries.

China actively promotes the construction of ecological civilization and biodiversity protection, continuously strengthens the mainstreaming of biodiversity, and has blazed a path of biodiversity protection with Chinese characteristics.

　　As the presidency of COP15, China actively played a leading and coordinating role to promote the negotiation process of the "Framework".

　　During the first phase of COP15 held in Kunming, China in October 2021, and the second phase of COP15 just held in Montreal, Canada, Chinese President Xi Jinping successively delivered keynote speeches and speeches to promote consensus among all parties and contribute to the eventual positive outcome of the conference. The outcome provided an important political impetus.

　　At the first phase of the meeting, China Convenience actively played a leading role, announcing that it will take the lead in investing 1.5 billion yuan to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund, formally establish the first batch of national parks, and promote the adoption of the "Kunming Declaration" at the conference, laying a solid political foundation for the "framework" Base.

Before the second phase of the meeting, China organized nearly 40 COP15 Bureau meetings and several "Framework" working group meetings.

　　During the second phase of the meeting, in the face of many different opinions among the parties, China continued to actively play a coordinating role, overcome various difficulties and challenges, promote the bridging of differences, and strive to find the "greatest common denominator" within the tight two weeks.

　　The Chinese side and the UNFCCC secretariat carefully designed a road map for negotiations and consultations, dividing the meeting time into four stages in a targeted manner, with the easier issues first and then the more difficult ones.

During the high-level meeting, China took the lead in setting up three consultation groups in the form of "pairing" of ministers from developed and developing countries to separately promote the three major goals of resource mobilization, digital sequence information (DSI) of genetic resources and the "framework" "Hard-boned" negotiations.

　　After the "Framework" was finally adopted, representatives of the parties spoke one after another, praising China's active leading role as the chair country.

"The world has rekindled the spirit of solidarity over the past two weeks," the EU representative said.

　A balance of ambition and pragmatism

　　In the process of reaching the "Framework", China has repeatedly emphasized that this is a "framework" that is both ambitious and pragmatic.

　　How to make the "Framework" not repeat the mistakes of the "Aichi Targets" after 10 years and finally only stay on paper, and become a truly "reliable" program document?

All parties have a consensus: the key lies in action and implementation.

　　In this regard, Huang Runqiu, chairman of the conference and Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, said: "In terms of pragmatic balance, we have conducted in-depth analysis and a very fine grasp of the goals and the ability to mobilize resources to support the realization of the goals, and continue to explore the balance between the two. ” He hoped that all the goals and commitments reached at this conference could stand the test of time and be fully implemented.

　　China will continue to hold the presidency for the next two years.

China has a clear plan for the follow-up work.

Huang Runqiu said that there are four priorities: comprehensively guide and promote the relevant processes of the inter-sessional meetings before COP16, actively guide the implementation of the "Framework" goals, and ensure that the relevant decisions passed are fully implemented, including the establishment of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund in 2023 as soon as possible , establish a multilateral mechanism for DSI benefit sharing, etc.; actively promote parties to update national biodiversity strategies and action plans in accordance with the requirements of the "Framework", mainstream biodiversity, mobilize resources and timely monitor, report and review; strengthen publicity and education and information sharing, ensuring the broad participation of indigenous and local communities, women and girls, children and youth, and society as a whole; making relevant preparations for the convening of COP16, which is planned to be held by Turkey as the presidency in two years.

　　In terms of promoting global biodiversity governance, China has always practiced true multilateralism and demonstrated its responsibility as a major country; China has always continued to promote green development and provided Chinese solutions; China has always actively carried out South-South cooperation to demonstrate China's contribution.

It can be foreseen that, as a "pragmatist" and "actionist", China will continue to contribute Chinese wisdom and strength to promote the international community to fulfill the solemn promise made to Mother Earth today.

(use up)