‘Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework’ for CoP15

‘Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework’ for CoP15

Subject: Environment

Context- The 15-United Nations Geneva Biodiversity Meetings concluded March 29, 2022, with negotiators from around 164 countries working out the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework before CoP15, which is scheduled to be held in China in August.

Concept-

• The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, to be held in Kunming, China in August 2022, was supposed to take place in 2020 but was postponed due to the global pandemic.
  • Before the UN Convention on Biodiversity, Parties have agreed to another round of negotiations in Nairobi, Kenya from June 21-29, 2022.
• It has also urged Parties and invited other governments to take action to
  • conserve and sustainably use marine and coastal biodiversity.
  • address threats and pressures on marine biodiversity and ecosystems like marine plastic litter and fishing.
  • to develop a strategic review and analysis of the programme of work on island biodiversity and to review progress towards global commitments and goals for island biodiversity.
• The report also welcomed the work of the executive secretary on the compilation and synthesis of information on impacts of anthropogenic underwater noise and marine debris on marine and coastal biodiversity and means to minimise and mitigate these impacts.
• It welcomed the efforts to implement the ‘Priority Actions to Achieve Aichi Biodiversity Target 10 for Coral Reefs and Closely Associated Ecosystems’ and ‘Voluntary Specific Workplan on Biodiversity in Cold-water Areas’ within the scope of the convention.

Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework:

• The overarching goals of the draft post 2020 framework — to protect the elements of biodiversity at all levels (genetic, species and ecosystem), sustainability and human well-being in the use of biodiversity and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of biodiversity — were reaffirmed during the Geneva sessions.

About UNCBD:

• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a legally binding treaty to conserve biodiversity has been in force since 1993.
• It has 3 main objectives:
  • The conservation of biological diversity.
  • The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity.
  • The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.
• Nearly all countries have ratified it (notably, the US has signed but not ratified).
• The CBD Secretariat is based in Montreal, Canada and it operates under the United Nations Environment Programme.
• The Parties (Countries) under Convention of Biodiversity (CBD), meet at regular intervals and these meetings are called Conference of Parties (COP).
• In 2000, a supplementary agreement to the Convention known as theCartagena Protocol on Biosafety was adopted.
  • It came into force on 11th September 2003.
  • The Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.
• The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) was adopted in 2010 in Nagoya, Japan at COP10.
  • It entered into force on 12th October 2014.
  • It not only applies to genetic resources that are covered by the CBD, and to the benefits arising from their utilization but also covers traditional knowledge (TK) associated with genetic resources that are covered by the CBD and the benefits arising from its utilization.
• Along with the Nagoya Protocol on Genetic Resources, the COP-10 also adopted a ten-year framework for action by all countries to save biodiversity.
• Officially known as “Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020”, it provided a set of 20 ambitious yet achievable targets collectively known as the Aichi Targets for biodiversity.
• India enacted Biological Diversity Act in 2002 for giving effect to the provisions of the CBD.