Negotiations on Global Biodiversity Agreement Begin in Nairobi

On Tuesday, the final round of negotiations on the draft of the "Global Agreement on Biodiversity" began in Nairobi (Kenya), as a prelude to the second part of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), scheduled for December in Montreal (Canada).

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Inger Andersen, the director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), said there was an urgency to adopt a transformative global framework aimed at strengthening the protection of natural habitats amid mounting threats.

Solidarity among communities of nations was key to reversing the depletion of global biodiversity hotspots and hastening the transition to a green and resilient future, he pointed out, adding that the establishment of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework will not only be a triumph of multilateralism but will also forge a pathway for addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, habitat loss, and pollution.

Over 1,000 in-person and virtual delegates are attending the fourth meeting of the open-ended working group on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework convened by the United Nations from June 21-26. Policymakers, scholars, and campaigners will discuss modalities of establishing a robust multilateral pact to advance nature protection in the light of climate and human-induced threats.

In addition, addressing key drivers of biodiversity loss including land-use changes, climate change, pollution, invasive species, and unsustainable consumption will feature at the Nairobi forum. 

Meanwhile, environmental activists are looking forward to the results of COP15, which should generate binding obligations to prevent transnational companies from preying on strategic ecosystems. In this regard, several international campaigns currently exist to hold the far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro accountable for the crimes committed in the Amazon.

"There can be no denying the link between Bolsonaro and the illegal mining and logging taking place in the Amazon. With that destruction has come violence, murder and an existential threat against Indigenous communities and environmental defenders," was the message posted by the Brazil Solidarity Initiative.