For the International Biodiversity Day, the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica (MINAE) and the “Post 2020 Biodiversity Framework. EU support” project launched a stream of activities entitled “Path towards mainstreaming biodiversity in Costa Rica national policy”.
The kick-off ceremony was opened by Costa Rica’s President of the Republic, Carlos Alvarado Quesada. Organized this year under the theme “Our solutions are in Nature”, the world biodiversity day celebration was followed by a live intervention of Costa Rica’s Minister for Environment and Energy, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Costa Rica, María Antonia Calvo Puerta and the Deputy Team Leader of the “Post 2020 Biodiversity Framework-EU support”project, Hugo Rivera Mendoza. It was followed by a live discussion between the Ministers of Health, Tourism and the Environment and Energy on the economic opportunities related to biodiversity and the links between biodiversity, health and tourism. The opening ceremony gathered the high-level participants at the President House and was attended by official representatives from numerous countries (Mexico, Honduras, Cuba, Spain, Colombia, Lebanon, Luxembourg, etc.). The full ceremony is available below in English and Spanish.
“Today, humankind is in a quest for answers to the pressing convergence of crises, both sanitary and climatic as well as economic and energetic. Given our moral authority in these four major areas, Costa Rica is ready to lead the process in order to achieve, by 2030, the conservation of at least 30% of land and marine areas worldwide.” Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of the Republic of Costa Rica
The activities foreseen under various innovating formats in the respect of gender, equity and equality principles aim at strengthening the country’s ability to contribute to a more ambitious post-2020 biodiversity framework during CBD COP15.
A first webinar “Defining Costa Rica’s post 2020 ambition” will take place the 3rd week of June 2020 and gather all the national biodiversity institutions involved in biodiversity management to reflect on the country’s level of ambition for the next global biodiversity framework and define national commitments. The identified priorities will be coupled with SMART targets proposals. It will come forward as a pilot experiment in terms of climate and biodiversity policies integration and will structure the definition of a national policy for Nature-based Solutions (NBS).
“It is no coincidence if this event happens here, Costa Rica is a pioneer country in natural resources protection, nature-based solutions and mechanism of payment for ecosystem services.” María Antonia Calvo Puerta, Head of the European Union Delegation to Costa Rica
A second webinar on “Integrating biodiversity into economic sectors” will take place the 3rd week of July 2020. Key socio-economic sectors will be gathered to refine their biodiversity mainstreaming strategies in sectoral policies and improve their funding support. It will be preceded by two national consultations to the private sector and civil society that will feed in the definition of sectorial mainstreaming strategies.
As soon as Covid-19 situation will allow, a National Congress for Biodiversity will gather 200 participants from all institutions and ministries, private sectors and civil society to enable cross exchanges of views and capacity-building, and facilitate resource mobilization. A high-level ministerial segment to discuss opportunities for cross-sectoral biodiversity mainstreaming is programmed, as well as 5 thematic sessions, will address NBS, finance for nature, sustainable use and institutional capacity building and also public policies support.
“This national process will not only result in a greater coordination & involvment by all relevant Ministries, but also mainstreaming in all economic sectors. Together with the inclusion and consultation of stakeholders and civil society, the ambition and innovative spirit of these activities serve as an example of transformative change.” Hugo Rivera Mendoza, Deputy Team Leader of the Post 2020 Biodiversity Framework.EU support
A final workshop will take place by the end of the year to prepare the national delegation to the CBD. It will focus on capacity building to increase the delegation’s negotiations scope and its aptitude to raise-up the level of ambitions in the CBD arena through strategic partnerships development and the strengthening of a national strategy.
The activities foreseen under various innovating formats in the respect of gender, equity and equality principles aim at strengthening the country’s ability to contribute to a more ambitious post-2020 biodiversity framework during CBD COP15.
The first webinar defining Costa Rica’s ambition for the post 2020 biodiversity framework will start the third week of June.
Watch Costa Rica President’s address:
Watch our Deputy Team Leader’s message on Costa Rica + Natura process :
