The parties that participated in COP 15 in Montreal have reached
an unprecedented agreement aimed at stopping the degradation of
biodiversity and its resources at the international level. After
several years of negotiations and long conference days, more than
190 countries have approved an agreement.
In summary, the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, now called
the "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,"
establishes 23 targets and four goals, and focuses on protecting
30% of the planet by 2030; as of today, only 17% and 10% of the
world's terrestrial and marine areas, respectively, are under
protection. In addition, the agreement aims to unlock $30 billion
in annual conservation aid for developing countries and to bring
guarantees for indigenous peoples, proposing to restore 30% of
degraded lands and halve the risks related to pesticides.
In addition to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,
two other related documents were approved during COP 15, one on
Resource Mobilization and the other on Digital Sequence Information
on Genetic Resources (DSI).
Background
Unless action is taken to reduce the intensity of the factors
driving global biodiversity loss, an average of 25% of species in
assessed animal and plant groups are threatened—with around 1
million species facing extinction, many within
decades—according to the IPBES Global Assessment
Report.
Resource Mobilization
The document recognizes the necessity of having an intermediate
phase for the next two years (2023-2024) and a second phase for the
rest of the decade (2025-2030), which will be agreed on during COP
16 (2024). For now, the document establishes, in its Annex I, the
"Strategy for Resource Mobilization – Building Blocks
and Structure for Phase I," which aims to quick-start resource
mobilization for least developed countries and small island
developing states.
Also, the document requests that the Global Environmental Facility
establish in 2023 a Special Trust Fund—the "GBF
Fund"—to support the implementation of the Global
Biodiversity Framework.
Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources
(DSI)
Unfortunately, the COP 15 discussions on accessing and
benefit-sharing related to DSI did not lead to a consensus; a
definitive mechanism may be agreed on at COP 16 (2024). However,
the decisions related to DSI note that the parties did agree that
benefits (monetary or not) from the use of DSI should be used to
support biodiversity conservation and benefit traditional
communities. Also, the document encourages the inclusion of more
digital sequence information on genetic resources with appropriate
information on its geographical origin, in order to facilitate
benefit-sharing.
Brazilian Response to COP 15 Outcomes
The COP 15 negotiations and approval of the Global Biodiversity
Framework have already started to impact the parties' national
legislations. On December 14, 2022, in Brazil, during the
negotiations, Ordinance GM/MMA No. 299/2022 was published,
establishing the National Biodiversity Conservation Program
(CONSERVA+), which will establish the strategies for recognizing,
assessing and managing native species in relation to sustainable
use and the risks and threats of extinction in order to ensure the
protection, conservation and management of Brazilian biological
diversity. The program will seek to identify, publicize, and value
the natural peculiarities and potentialities of native flora and
fauna species as well as detect, reduce, and eliminate threats that
may affect them.
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