Upcoming CBD COP12 – Biodiversity for Sustainable Development

COP12logo
Mid October 2014, the Convention on Biological Diversity will hold its 12th Conference of the Parties (COP12). This event is a series of meetings grouping CBD signatory countries (parties), partners (business and institutions) to discuss about biodiversity and the goals we want to achieve to support the CBD objectives.
In July 2014, the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly met and recognised the growing importance of biodiversity within Sustainable Development goals.
The text of the goals and targets for the Sustainable Development Goals can be found at: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/focussdgs.html
We, actors working on biodiversity issues, are very pleased with these results they are directly relevant to the theme of the upcoming COP12. They also point to the growing recognition outside of the traditional biodiversity community of the essential role of biodiversity to achieving sustainable development.
In fact, the theme of COP12 meetings is Biodiversity for Sustainable Development:
  • To raise international awareness about the essential role of biodiversity and its contribution to sustainable development.
  • To put strong emphasis on biodiversity at the discussions of Post-2015 Development Agenda and setting of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Find out more here.

During this important event, there will be key meetings and side events such as:

  • COP12-MOP1 on the Nagoya Protocol: updates on the ongoing ratification works and tools development;
  • Business and Biodiversity Forum: National business and biodiversity initiatives and key partners will meet to discuss how to better engage private sectors in the CBD objectives – Find out more here; Note that the UEBT Executive Director, Rik Kutsch Lojenga will be attending this forum, if you want to know more about UEBT, this would be the time.
  • III BioTrade Congress: for the programme click here.

In addition, to highlight the essential role of biodiversity for sustainable development, the CBD Secretariat has chosen to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May 2015 under the theme of “Biodiversity for Sustainable Development”.

Unfortunately I won’t be participating but will keep you posted with any relevant news…