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Published: 11:08, October 19, 2021
Convention adopts Kunming Declaration
By Hou Liqiang
Published:11:08, October 19, 2021 By Hou Liqiang

(From right) Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Chinese Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu, and Deputy Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity David Cooper at the closing ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP15, in Kunming, Southwest China’s Yunnan province, on Oct 13. (LI XIN / XINHUA)

KUNMING — Participants at the United Nations Biological Diversity Convention have adopted the Kunming Declaration, as a two-day high-level segment of the 15th meeting of the conference of the parties to the convention, or COP15, concluded on Oct 13. Chinese Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu, also president of COP15, declared the adoption of the declaration at the High-Level Segment of the first part of COP15 at the closing ceremony.

The largest UN gathering on biodiversity in a decade, COP15 is tasked with elaborating on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and identifying new protection goals through 2030. The second part will be held in the first half of next year.

“The declaration will send a powerful signal, showing the world our determination to solve the problem of biodiversity loss, and our stronger actions on the issues discussed at this high-level meeting,” Huang said.

The Kunming Declaration is a political declaration and the main achievement of this conference. The declaration commits to ensuring the development, adoption and implementation of an effective post-2020 global biodiversity framework to reverse the current loss of biodiversity and ensure that biodiversity is put on a path to recovery by 2030 at the latest, towards the full realization of the 2050 vision of “Living in Harmony with Nature”.

“The Kunming Declaration details some of the key elements needed for success: mainstreaming, redirection of subsidies, rule of law, full and effective participation of indigenous people and local communities,” said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The declaration took note of the theme of the UN Biodiversity Conference 2020 — “Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth”. Ecological civilization is a philosophy proposed by China.

It declared that putting biodiversity on a path of recovery is a defining challenge of this decade, requiring strong political momentum to develop the adoption and implementation of an ambitious and transformative post-2020 global biodiversity framework and putting forward the 17 commitments.

The framework should include provision of the necessary means of implementation, as well as appropriate mechanisms for monitoring, reporting and review, to reverse the current loss of biodiversity and ensure that biodiversity is put on a path to recovery by 2030 at the latest, it said.

Concerned that the ongoing loss of biodiversity jeopardizes the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and other international goals and targets, the declaration said, “We declare that putting biodiversity on a path to recovery is a defining challenge of this decade.”

It takes note of the calls made by many countries to protect and conserve 30 percent of land and sea areas through well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures by 2030.

Another commitment included in the declaration was to increase the provision of financial, technological and capacity-building support to developing countries necessary to implement the framework.

Slovenia, current holder of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, welcomed the Kunming Declaration on Oct 13.

“We believe that the adoption of the Kunming Declaration … is a step in the right direction,” Jasmina Spahalic, a spokesperson for the Slovenian EU Presidency, said in a statement sent to Xinhua.

“We expect the declaration to have a positive impact on transformation … needed to stop the loss of biodiversity by 2030,” the statement said.

Xinhua contributed to this report.

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn


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