Charting a Path at COP16: Indigenous Roles and Biodiversity Goals

The UN Biodiversity Conference COP16 highlights four major aspects: progress on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, focusing on indigenous people's roles, finalizing funding strategies, and operationalizing genetic resources information. It gathers global leaders to reverse biodiversity loss, aiming for a 30% protection of global ecosystems by 2030.

The UN Biodiversity Conference COP16, the largest in its history, has kicked off in Colombia, focusing on reversing biodiversity loss. Key areas include assessing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, recognizing indigenous roles, and establishing a major funding strategy.

Among the primary objectives of the conference is the implementation of 23 targets to halt biodiversity loss by 2030, with India and 107 other nations aligning their national plans to these goals. A significant topic is the ambitious aim to protect at least 30% of the planet's land and seas.

Moreover, the conference emphasizes the significance of indigenous communities as crucial custodians of nature, encouraged to enhance their role in conservation. Resource mobilization remains a challenge, even with generous pledges like $5.5 billion from the Bezos Earth Fund, as efforts to bridge the financial gap continue.

(With inputs from agencies.)