“This is an unprecedented occasion in the history of multilateral environmental agreements,” Camila Paz Romero, spokesperson for Indigenous Peoples at the summit, told UN News.“Indigenous peoples and local communities of the world – connected from our knowledge systems in the care of life and biodiversity – remember the long road we have traveled towards this agreement.”Efforts to get a seat at the table have spanned three decades.In Cali, the summit, known officially as the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, concluded following 12 days of robust discussions among 170 delegations, according to the Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.The central objective of the Convention, adopted by 196 countries in 1992, is to promote measures that lead to a sustainable future. ‘Benchmark for the world’Agreement was reached after lengthy debates and discussions at the close of COP16, giving Indigenous Peoples and people of African descent and their communities recognition as protagonists in biodiversity conservation while also deciding to create a subsidiary body for them under article 8J of the convention.“This new subsidiary body is a benchmark for the rest of the world in which the parties recognise the continued need for our full and effective participation, knowledge, innovations, technologies and traditional practices to meet the objectives of the convention,” Ms. Paz said.That provision specifically states that each signatory country shall respect, preserve and maintain the knowledge, innovations and practices of Indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.New decision-making powersThe newest subsidiary body translates into a permanent space for Indigenous Peoples and local communities to participate in decision making on biodiversity.That space will also strengthen dialogue between countries and Indigenous Peoples and local communities as a way to define actions that contribute to protecting nature.The other two subsidiary bodies attending COP16 were the scientific, technical and technological advisory body, which conducts assessments of the state of biodiversity, and the implementation branch, which makes recommendations on technical and scientific aspects of the convention’s implementation.Global first for nature’s genetic dataIn another first, COP16 delegates decided to create a global fund for collecting economic resources from the use digital sequence information – genetic codes coming from organism samples that are often shared digitally – and its and fair, equitable distribution.As such, companies using this information to develop products will have to allocate part of their profits to what is being called the Cali Fund from which resources will be allocated to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, directly or through governments.Benefit-sharing will also consider such criteria as national conservation needs and biodiversity richness.Outstanding issues on the tableHowever, two issues remained unresolved, both instrumental for implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework for Biodiversity, a global plan that was adopted during COP15 in Canada to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.One was the lack of a definition for a financing model to bring the biodiversity protection plan to reality. Calculations indicate that $700 billion is required to implement the framework.The other pending issue is a monitoring mechanism to measure the progress of countries in complying with the roadmap to protect biodiversity.By the close of the summit, discussions on these issues were suspended due to the fact that there were no longer enough negotiators present to reach an agreement.The People’s COPOn the sidelines of the summit, a “green zone” was established for civil society groups, according to Colombia’s Environment Minister Susana Muhamad, who said some 40,000 people attended related activities and the zone attracted about one million visits.“In short, this was the people’s COP,” Ms. Muhamad said.“The ‘peace with nature’ coalition was installed, and it was possible to mobilise perhaps the most important education campaign that Colombia has had in its history and to see so many people excited about biodiversity.”....................................................This story was first published by UN News.

In July this year, I spent a week in Haiti, together with counterparts from the United Nations Children's Fund and the European Union Humanitarian Aid Department, in an effort to gain a clearer understanding of the crisis and how the United Nations and the broader humanitarian community can best support the Haitian people.Haiti is a beautiful country that has been beset by numerous challenges over the years, most recently incessant violence and insecurity, but also political instability, underinvestment in basic services and a succession of natural disasters. These challenges have blighted the lives of Haitians and have led to an exodus of people from the country, including health workers and teachers, in search of a better life.The crisis in Haiti today is undoubtedly one of the world’s most severe. Much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and large parts of the rural south are under the control of armed groups. In the north, violence increasingly threatens the country’s breadbasket, Artibonite. During the first half of 2024, more than 3,600 Haitians were killed, including hundreds of women and children. More than 700,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, over half of whom are women and girls.During our visit, we sat and spoke with numerous people affected by this worsening crisis: farmers unable to harvest their crops, women farmers unable to take their produce to market, displaced families now sheltering in the schools their children used to attend, and many living in constant fear of kidnapping or sexual assault at the hands of the armed gangs.In total, 5.5 million Haitians, nearly half the population, require humanitarian assistance and protection. Hunger is rising, with more than 5 million Haitians facing crisis levels of acute food insecurity. According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, an estimated 2 million people are in the grips of emergency levels of hunger and at least 6,000 people are facing the highest level of acute food insecurity─IPC Phase 5. Access to basic services, such as health and education, remains precarious. Just 24 per cent of hospitals are functioning normally in the Port-au-Prince region, although many Haitians lack the means to afford adequate medical care even where it’s available. More than 900 schools have closed, leaving hundreds of thousands of children without access to education at the start of the new school year.The potential consequences for children are alarming: boys and girls who are out of school are ripe for recruitment into armed groups─it is estimated that children already constitute up to half of their membership. For girls out of school, their risk of exposure to gender-based violence increases dramatically. This is against the backdrop of a terrifying surge in gender-based violence, with sexual violence accounting for a large majority of reported cases. By March 2024, the number of gender-based violence cases reported per month in displacement sites had nearly quadrupled from the start of the year.These figures reveal a tragic truth: women and girls are bearing the brunt of the protection crisis in Haiti, particularly those who have been displaced.Despite this seemingly bleak outlook, I came away from the visit energized and with the conviction that with the right attention and support, Haiti and its people have more than a glimmer of hope for a better future. Many Haitians expressed optimism that the Transitional Government and the initial deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission could bring about political stability and an improved security situation. I witnessed first-hand the remarkable strength and resilience of Haitian women and men, a quality they have demonstrated over many years. As families prepare for the back-to-school season, the people of Haiti are not giving up on their children’s education—a powerful testament to their determination. I was humbled by the incredible work of local civil society and humanitarian organizations, going above and beyond to help their fellow citizens, including generously hosting them in their own homes.Many people were clear on the need for support with basic day-to-day necessities. But many were equally clear on their desire for assistance that would enable them to support themselves, and they were specific about what this assistance looked like. When I travelled to Artibonite, for instance, farmers explicitly stated that they did not want United Nations seeds and supplies. What they were asking for was infrastructure, such as systems for irrigation, that would provide a solid base for rebuilding and sustaining livelihoods and feeding families and communities.It must be the role of the international community to provide the support that Haitians need—when, and in the form, they need it. In doing so, we can capitalize on the window of opportunity presented by recent developments.The top priority must be peace and stability. More than anything, this is what is wanted by the Haitians I spoke to. So far, 400 Kenyan police have deployed to Haiti as part of MSS mission, and more are expected to arrive shortly. This is a critical opportunity to reduce levels of violence and improve the security situation so that people can resume their lives and livelihoods.It is also vital to address the full spectrum of root causes of the humanitarian crisis. This requires not only political and security progress, but simultaneous efforts in development and humanitarian aid. For instance, with some 85 per cent of all schools and hospitals run by the private sector, bringing children back to school and providing adequate healthcare is not a matter for humanitarians alone, but one that requires engagement with State institutions and the stimulation of local businesses and other stakeholders.And we must sustain an effective, appropriate and principled humanitarian response, on which so many people currently rely. My visit confirmed what I already knew─the United Nations and its partners are doing an incredible job in Haiti under extremely challenging circumstances. Through constant dialogue with all stakeholders, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has led efforts to ensure that humanitarians can deploy where they are most needed. And by working with local organizations, United Nations agencies have been able to develop localized responses to specific needs in different areas. This includes extensive work with local women’s organizations, which have deep roots in communities and a unique understanding of needs. Last year, the United Nations was able to reach some 2.6 million people in Haiti with some form of assistance. By the end of 2023, the United Nations was providing nearly 600,000 people per month with food or cash assistance.But what is lacking─as is often the case─is adequate and flexible funding. As at mid-September, the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti is only 39 per cent funded, having received just $262 million out of $674 million requested for 2024.There has been some progress since my visit in July. Additional donor funding allowed OCHA to set up a regional pooled fund to provide support in priority areas such as food security and protection. But much more is needed to support Haiti through this crisis.The cost of inaction is high. Hunger will increase, and temporary shelters will no longer be able to support the displaced. More children will lose years of education, and more will be lost to recruitment by armed groups. Women will continue to face life-threatening complications in pregnancy and childbirth, and girls will continue to face alarming levels of gender-based violence without the urgent medical assistance they need.None of this is inevitable. At the recent opening of the seventy-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, leaders convened to discuss concrete avenues for supporting Haiti. Now the international community must turn commitments into action, while the window of opportunity remains open. And it must ensure that the United Nations and the broader humanitarian and development community have the necessary resources to help the country navigate this challenging time. With the right attention and support, we can help Haiti along the path towards security, stability and the foundations of a lasting peace that its people so richly deserve...............................................................This story was first published by UN Chronicle.

The coral reefs that dot Colombia's sprawling Sea Flower Biosphere Reserve are among the most vibrant in the Caribbean. But overfishing, unchecked tourism, invasive species and climate change are decimating these undersea cities, threatening marine life and the livelihoods of thousands of people. Now, a novel funding mechanism is helping relieve some of those stressors.   The Global Fund for Coral Reefs, a multi-partner trust fund supported by the United Nations, is providing grants and soft loans to small businesses that operate within the reserve. The funding is backing several reef-friendly ventures, from eco-tourism to artisanal fishing. The financing is part of a growing effort by governments and philanthropies to use seed money to jumpstart private investments in conservation. For example, with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank, the Republic of Seychelles launched the world’s first sovereign blue bond in 2018 to support sustainable marine and fisheries projects, demonstrating the potential for countries to harness capital markets for financing the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of marine resources.   This so-called blended finance is seen as crucial to marshalling the billions of dollars necessary to end a global nature crisis that is, among other things, pushing 1 million species towards extinction. The interest in the instrument comes as countries steam ahead with the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a landmark 2022 agreement to halt and reverse the decline of nature. The pact calls on the countries of the world to invest a combined US$200 billion annually by 2030 to safeguard biological diversity.  Continue reading this story at the website of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today presented the progress made in Latin America and the Caribbean regarding the targets set in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which outlines concrete goals for the protection of global biodiversity.The presentation took place at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP) on biodiversity, held in Cali, Colombia, gathering around 12,000 delegates from nearly 200 countries, including a dozen heads of state and 140 ministers, to conserve biodiversity and secure a sustainable future for all forms of life on the planet.“Significant progress has been made in the region, integrating biodiversity considerations into policies and strategies at all levels. This compendium shows how FAO projects, financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), have made a difference. Even before this biodiversity framework, we have been working energetically towards Better Production and a Better Environment, promoting Better Nutrition and a Better Life, leaving no one behind,” explained María Mercedes Proaño, FAO’s Climate Finance Officer, who gave the presentation in Cali.The progress was presented through a compendium of publications highlighting the work over the past decade (2013-2023) across more than 150 actions in 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean on biodiversity. These publications analyze initiatives supported by FAO and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).The achievements include eliminating obsolete pesticides, reducing costs, protecting the environment in fisheries, and converting thousands of hectares into protected areas, among other initiatives.In Ecuador, in line with ‘Goal 01: Plan and manage all areas to reduce biodiversity loss,’ the climate-smart livestock project was developed, allowing progress in five provincial development and land-use planning plans.In the Caribbean, under ‘Target 07: Reducing pollution to levels not harmful to biodiversity,’ 319 tons of obsolete pesticides were eliminated, including persistent organic pollutants and polychlorinated biphenyls, an amount similar to the weight of approximately eight Boeing 737 aircrafts.In Brazil, aligned with ‘Target 08: Minimize the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and build resilience’, a reduction of over 23% in fuel consumption in fishing was achieved thanks to modified fishing nets, leading to lower pollution and costs, with the potential to obtain blue economy credits for reduced emissions.In Colombia, aligned with ‘Target 10: Enhance biodiversity and sustainability in agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry’, the Biocaribe project intervened in more than 12,000 hectares for buffer zones of protected areas, representing an area similar to 35 times Central Park in New York; and certifying more than 3,000 hectares through participatory systems, similar to 625 times the Zócalo of Mexico City.In Mexico, in line with ‘Target 14: Integrate biodiversity into decision-making at every level’, the Agrobiodiversity project proposed the definition of native maize for the Federal Law to promote its cultivation and protection. Additionally, the focus on agrobiodiversity was included in Mexican official standards to promote healthy and sustainable diets.FAO is currently working with countries in the region to develop projects aimed exclusively at achieving the biodiversity goals for GEF-8 (the eighth replenishment cycle), totaling USD 37.6 million, in addition to the USD 60 million in proposals that include biodiversity and address these goals...............................................................This story was first published by FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.