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IUCN members urge countries to adopt a transformative Global Biodiversity Framework

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Laying the foundations for an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s World Conservation Congress, (IUCN WCC) delayed from its original 2020 date by the pandemic, comes ahead of crucial UN summits on climate, food system and biodiversity that could shape action for the planet for the foreseeable future. At the opening ceremony of the Congress, hosted by France, French President Emmanuel Macron said the conference should lay the “initial foundations” for a global biodiversity strategy that will be the focus of UN deliberations in China in May next year.


“COP26 in Glasgow next November and COP15 in May 2022: the urgency is to resynchronize both agendas, because those two battles nurture each other.” French President Emmanuel Macron

In the world of finance, what gets measured gets done. We need to better understand the financial implications of biodiversity. The Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures and the EU’s corporate responsibility directive under review are key initiatives in that direction.” Christine Lagarde, European Central Bank President

Over 5700 participants attended the on-site Congress, while thousands also joined the virtual sessions organized throughout the programme.

Its originality came from the holding of four stakeholder Summits prior to its opening, gathering representatives from youth, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), Subnational and Local Governments (SNLGs) and the private sector. Aimed both at showcasing the role of these actors in biodiversity conservation, and at calling for further consideration of their contributions, the Summits kicked-off a busy schedule of thematic roundtables, high-level dialogues and negotiations that resulted in the election of IUCN’s new Board and the release of the Marseille Manifesto, a guiding document and call to action which will be submitted throughout the global agenda of environmental conferences.

Post 2020 Partnership Pavilion – “Bringing on board those not here for an equitable, carbon neutral and nature positive world!”

Among the largest and most lively pavilions accessible at IUCN WCC,the Post 2020 Partnership Pavilion was focused entirely on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) negotiations.

The Post-2020 Partnership, a unique coalition that brings together some of the largest conservation and development organizations, along with philanthropic foundations, UN agencies, and representatives from IPLCs, youth, Subnational & Local governments, and the private sector has led this week of fruitful and high attendance sessions at the WCC. Driven by this platform of 30+ Partners organizations, the Pavilion aimed at creating a programme that can respond rapidly to the latest developments under the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Open-Ended Working Group 3 and its outcomes.

It prioritized the convergence of partners in driving high ambition at CBD COP15 through joint coordination, advocacy, and outputs’ delivery as joint statements or roadmap, starting with the issuance of a Non States Actors call to Action, entitled “Secure an equitable, nature positive, net zero world: Non-state actors’ call for governments to strengthen the post-2020 global biodiversity framework”, endorsed by 100+ organizations so far.

Its Partners played a critical role in mobilizing civil society within their respective constituencies.

Throughout the WCC the Post 2020 Partnership held 40 virtual and on-site thematic sessions with 119 panellists. Close to a thousand participants joined virtually or sat in the audience to listen to high-level speakers share their own perspectives on how to achieve transformative change for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

The Pavilion’s six-day programme was designed to put pressure for high ambition in the GBF negotiations and to accelerate “transformative change towards an equitable, nature-positive, climate-neutral future for all”.  By drawing on the unique expertise of the diverse partners, the Pavilion’s programme generated collective thinking, concrete recommendations and tools for CBD negotiators to advocate for the highest ambition at COP15, but also prepare ahead for a sound implementation of the agreement.

Take a look back at each thematic day of the Post 2020 Partnership Pavilion, and find more information for each day when clicking on the respective topics.

September 4: Transformative Change

Day 1 explored whether or not the GBF draft was sufficiently ambitious to drive transformative change towards an equitable, nature-positive, carbon-neutral future for all.

We need to increase the level of ambition as we are running out of time. It is critical to have a robust post 2020 framework but the framework is just one of the aspects.” Andrea Meza, Costa Rica Minister of Environment

We know how much we need to invest every year and we know that the return is high in economic and human terms.” Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Global Environment Facility

September 5: Equity & Rights

Day 2 focused on the equity and right dimensions of the GBF through two on-site sessions and two virtual sessions especially focusing on the equity and rights ambition gaps and concrete recommendations to address those gaps.

We are suffering of eco-anxiety, but have a clear idea of the future we want. International processes start recognizing the importance of listening to youth but we still have to fight for those spaces. […]So far, it is really business as usual, and we are tired of it. That’s why we have a campaign called #StopTheSame. Melina Sakiyama, GYBN

“Mechanisms need to be reinforced so that IPLCs are equally heard, looking at the wrongs from the past and rectifying themVictoria Tauli-Corpuz, Former UN Special Rapporteur for Rights of Indigenous Peoples

September 6: Transforming Finance

Day 3 addressed how the GBF should be strengthened to catalyse the transformation of the finance system to ensure nature-positive financial flows. Speakers shared their perspectives pointing out some blatantambition’s gaps and inconsistencies in the GBF draft, providing recommendations to bridge those divides and key messages for political leaders.

We must think of translating the framework into our key policy areas and strategies and plan to have tangible actions on the ground for the people and communities.” Beatriz Cyiza, Rwanda Minister of Environment

“Today, we have more business and financial people in the IUCN World Conservation Congress than ever before, not talking about species, but about the future of humanity. Nature is not an impediment to investment anymore, it is an opportunity.” André Hoffmann, President, Mava Foundation

Panellists also highlighted the urgency in addressing biodiversity harmful subsidies, as demonstrated in #Post2020 collection publication.

Governments need evidence base to create transparency and identify biodiversity harmful subsidies, with tools for regular reporting and detailed screening to grade their impact.” Jacqueline Cottrell, Green Budget Germany

“We would need a GBF that pushes the Multilateral Development Banks into reform biodiversity harmful programs  with some teeth. ” Gareth Phillips, African Development Bank Group

September 7: Global Synergies

Day 4 focused on synergies and addressed whether the GBF is sufficiently aligned with the Paris Agreement, the SDGs, biodiversity-related conventions, and other new global processes such as the UN Food Systems Summit, the UN Conference and the Decade for Ecological Restoration.

“We have already identified so many actions that we can take. Many people know already what to do locally. We shall not wait for the framework to be adopted to take action.” Nicolas Chenet, Expertise France

We need to work with finance on the perverse subsidies. Nature-based solutions will play a role but are not the solution for everything for climate, biodiversity and the SDGs.” Robert Watson, IPBES

September 8: Whole-of-Society Mobilization

The Post 2020 Partnership Pavilion Day 5 gave impetus to mobilization for action and addressed how to catalyse the full spectrum of actors to ensure rigorous implementation of the GBF.  If the world is to avoid the mistakes of the Aichi targets era, it will be essential to ensure a whole-of-society approach in the implementation, accountability, reporting, and review to ensure that governments uphold their political commitments.

My constituency [SNLGs] sits in two places: society and governments. They are at the frontline and the CBD recognizes that SNLGs have a key role to play through the renewal of their dedicated Plan of Action, the latest being tabled for adoption at Kunming” Ingrid Coetzee, ICLEI

“We focus too much on the 30% protected areas, while 50% of the GDP is coming from the remaining 70%. We need to focus on landscape approaches and invest in natural capital. We need healthy ecosystems. We as humans, are exploiting all the planet’s resources. There is a limit of course, and I don’t know how we can prepare for the next generations, with real sustainable development and a viable planet.” Didier Babin, Project Team Leader

“We have to go beyond our comfort zone and stop talking to each other, going to finance, private sectors, the youth to be truly transformational.” Patricia Zurita, CEO, Birdlife International

September 9: The Way Forward

Day 6, the Post 2020 Pavilion Partnership’s closing plenary brought together high-level speakers from multiple organizations to discuss the challenges and opportunities to elevate ambition in the GBF negotiations and the urgent messages that must be shared to political leaders. Speakers repeated how much we are in a red alert situation and we urgently need a transformative shift in our relationship with nature.

We have to translate the GBF vision into quantification. Now is the time to turn to a nature positive world. That is ZERO loss.” Johan Rockstrom, Postdam Institute

“There is a momentum, a momentum for gender equality, for the inclusion of all people. We just cannot afford to have things going the way they are going. We have to do more for the people out there, to educate them.” Jimena Ojeda, Scouting Peru

“This pavilion was created with a sense of ownership and co-design. I believe this is the spirit of our community. The mission we have in front of us is much bigger than any of us. “The diversity of the group is amazing. We do not agree on everything but we agree on MOST of things. We need to bring on board those not here…. for an equitable, carbon neutral and nature positive world!” Marco Lambertini, General Director of WWF

A revised Call to action to be signed by all partners will be presented at the UNGA on the 22nd of September.

For a more detailed insight, check the Post-2020 Partnership’s website here.

Transformative Change session at the EU Pavilion

Held on September 5th, the session presented the main interest, challenges and opportunities related to adopting a “transformative change” approach to the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Presenting the key concepts and definition of transformative change standing in the #Post2020 collection, the experts highlighted that while the GBF draft recognized the need for transformative change, it still provided limited substance in the text.

To put transformative change at the heart of the post-2020 GBF, we need to adopt a whole of government and whole of society approach, including non-state actors. Inequity is huge and must be addressed.” Jiska Van Dijk, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research

They called policy makers to move from a map defining the final destination to a compass identifying the path to get there  covering for key themes such as addressing the root causes of biodiversity loss, expand the action arena, realize multiple co-benefits expanding to new areas of society and economy, etc. As it comes to the GBF, this would amount to aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals, develop headlines targets, not necessarily keep national governments as the main actors.

We have to open up what biodiversity conservation means to a whole new range of actors even though it fosters conflicts. It is by allowing conflicts between those actors that we will achieve transformative change.” Harriet Bulkeley, Durham University

Under the moderation of Julie Delcroix, Policy Officer at the European Commission DG R&T, a roundtable gathering representatives of  key constituencies (SLNGs, youth, a CBD state party) provided concrete examples of their role and leadership in driving transformation throughout sectors, stakeholders and in the COP15 negotiation process. They also showed pathways to concrete windows of action for an effectively transformative CBD COP15, developing ownership and using the concept of transformative change to enhance global biodiversity governance.

We have actors getting involved by getting the value of biodiversity, but very small amounts of funds. We need to scale up and have big actions, not arborescence of small projects, to get biodiversity into global economy.” Ines Verleye, Former CBD Focal Point, Ministry of Environment, Belgium

We must focus on how to get people, children, local communities to promote biodiversity with a bottom-up approach.” Emmanuel Sindikubwabo, Executive Director, We Do GREEN Organization (WDGO) Rwanda

The International Youth Delegation making its voice heard in Marseille!

Global Youth Summit

Following the incredibly successful outcomes of its online segment, which was held in April 2021 and led to the preparation of an outcome statement to be presented at the IUCN Members’ Assembly, the Global Youth Summit (GYS, moderated by Melina Sakiyama, GYBN co-founder,  kicked off a week of events, discussions and activities, including a Youth Oasis exclusively devoted to showcasing young people’s leadership in conservation and nature action. Speakers from many paths of activism and political leaders recalled the importance of such an initiative in supporting the full and effective participation of young people in decision-making, project design and implementation. They also called for more geographical and generational representativeness across the Congress’s programme, and for including initiatives such as the GYS at the core of the WCC rather than as a side conference.

“Youth bring attention to all inequalities but offers recommendations and solutions to these issues.” Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Youth Envoy

A delegation of over 10 young leaders, coming from multiple youth organizations around the world was also brought in the project, and gave inspiring addresses to the GYS audience.

“Conservation can’t just look like policy, it must include the human aspects, in particular for indigenous peoples and #youth. It must be holistic and intersectional.” Sarah Hanson, Youth4Nature

We do have solutions, but we lack a strong political will. All we need is YOUR action!” Brighton Kaoma, United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network

The #NatureforAll Youth Oasis

The Oasis was designed by IUCN’s Commission on Education and Communication and in cooperation with Canada to be the centre of youth presence throughout Congress, and worked as a place for young people to talk to each other, organize interactive activities and show all participants and the public that youth is ready for to take transformative steps to reset our relationship with nature. It was also the meeting point for the project’s international youth delegation for daily coordination, during which the participants shared their impressions, contributions and invitations to speak at the many Congress events where their expertise was required.

The Youth Campus session: Learning the stakes of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework from young experts

The project organized in cooperation with GYBN, an online Campus session entitled “Understanding the CBD negotiations process: perspectives from youth leaders”.

We all hope that the Post-2020 GBF is going to go further, be more ambitious, and legally binding. It is a turning point we are facing.” Mirna Ines Fernandez, GYBN

Youth Campuses focused on training and capacity-building for a selected audience, interested in learning more about a subject. In this regard, it was particularly fitting for youth leaders to take the stage to share what they thought about the CBD, its structure, institutions and the current state of negotiations. It was opened by Jérémie Pellet, Expertise France Director General, who recalled the project’s support to GYBN through a grant, and acknowledged the crucial role of the 25 national consultations and 15 intergenerational dialogues implemented in the last year to bring youth voices to the negotiations. Vibrant breakout groups culminated in the agreement on a set of frustrations, challenges, hopes and values that participants believed were key to addressing the biodiversity crisis. Those inputs will be integrated as a part of the definition of GYBN’s position on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

From presence to effective participation, the International Youth Delegation hits the ground running

Since its first steps into Marseille’s conference centre, the young leaders participating in our project’s delegations took it upon themselves to be as visible and audible as possible. To show that their experiences and perspective should be valued and heard, they spoke at multiple sessions and panels.

Robyn Seetal (World Economic Forum Young Shapers) took the stage at the Opening Plenary on Systemic Change for the Economy and Finance.

We need the increase the passion and ambition. Businesses can incorporate natural capital into their accounts, integrate nature into their reporting and governments can work on loss and damages related to nature” Robyn Seetal, WEF Global Shapers

Following the Equity and Rights programme at the Post-2020 Partnership Pavilion, Melina Sakiyama and Swetha Stotra Bhashyam from GYBN participated in two panel discussions on integrating rights-based approaches in the CBD and nature negotiations. They both recalled that intergenerational equity was a cornerstone of a successful Post-2020 framework and that full and effective participation was required to reach the CBD’s objectives.

Moving down to other exciting opportunities at the WCC, the international youth delegation further expanded its scope of involvement to mobilize and burst the nature conservation community bubble.

“The Breakfast with…” sessions provided such possibilities to learn from and discuss paths to bridging intergenerational gaps in biodiversity, with a daily one-hour slot devoted to exchanges of views between young activists and high-level WCC participants.  For its first rounds, Rebecca Yego (Man and the Biosphere, Kenya) and Julia Bethe (Youth 4 Nature, France) had the occasion to meet with their national Ministers for Environment (Mr. Keriako Tobiko and Ms. Barbara Pompili). They advocated for more youth involvement in nature conservation activities, and called for programmes and activities to facilitate their empowerment. Nisreen Elsaim also exchanged views with representatives from the University of Geneva and Chatham House, on tools and solutions to support the establishment of a vibrant climate change research community in Sudan.

Exploding days of activities, meetings and speaking engagements: The Closing plenaries put youth leaders on the spotlight!

Youth leaders demonstrated throughout their participation that they were already acting and mobilizing on the ground for bold biodiversity action. They were recognized as key stakeholders, were given the space to engage with other representatives, and pushed for their views to be considered While significant work remains, the Congress raised hopes for more meaningful youth participation at IUCN, and in other similar forums.

At the final session of the “Breakfast with…”, many fruitful connections were made. Jimena Ojeda (Peru Scouting) and Mirna Fernández (GYBN) separately met with Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International. Following up to his call to a bolder, proactive youth movement at IUCN and the CBD alike, both reaffirmed that young people from across the globe were looking forward to having access to the space they deserve in the environmental sector. They also challenged the perceptions of youth activism, and recalled that the main question was not about young people having a voice, but rather about their opinions and positions being taken on board. Mirna raised in particular the question of the upcoming youth position on Nature-based Solutions, prepared by GYBN, Youth 4 Nature and YOUNGO. Following a conversation between Christian Schwarzer (GYBN) and Carlos Manuel Rodríguez (Global Environment Facility) held the day before at a Post-2020 Partnership Pavilion session, Cristhian Fretes (GYBN) also had a meeting with the GEF CEO. They touched upon Carlos Manuel Rodríguez’s support to bringing more youth inputs into GEF governance, and Cristhian expressed the hope that this would move from promises to reality.

Moving from speeches to concrete solutions to tackle the equity and biodiversity loss challenges, GYBN organized a session entitled “10 proposals for a sustainable planet: youth voices for a new deal for nature and people”. Speaking up, Alicia Donellan Barraclough (Man and the Biosphere – MAB), Christian Schwarzer, Melina Sakiyama (GYBN) shared the stage with the UNESCO MAB programme and offered concrete ideas on nature, equity and inclusion.

This step up also brought exciting spaces for the delegation’s visibility. Nisreen Elsaim and Melina Sakiyama were featured in an interview with The Guardian’s Patrick Greenfield, where they issued a compelling call to take action on the ground to work on inequalities, unsustainable production and consumption patterns and control over decision-making by policies and processes that leave youth and grassroots leaders aside. Alexis Cañari (#YouthSpeak Representative) was also interviewed by Geneva Solutions in an article raising questions on the links between employment , inclusion peace, stewardship, and global environmental goals. Jimena Ojeda contributed to raising awareness on youth presence throughout the Congress, as she took over the @iucn_congress Instagram account for a day.

First thoughts on Congress build up, young people are eager to share their views across platforms!

As the IUCN members’ Assembly got together to elect its new board, it was time for the international youth delegation to move from speaking engagements and participation to contributions to the momentum on nature conservation and sustainable use. Melina Sakiyama  (GYBN) shared her knowledge and expertise when she discussed with a university researcher on the challenges, critiques and characteristics of a 30% by 2030 apex conservation target. Mobilization also happened outside of Congress and, online, the participants were particularly vocal in sharing and giving visibility to the many interesting insights provided by experts in the thematic sessions. Thanks to their remarkable communications skills, they helped break the biodiversity silo and bring biodiversity considerations to the general public, to show how all aspects of human life are dependent on nature.

In the final days of the WCC, the Marseille Manifesto draft was shared with all WCC participants. The young leaders also took the lead in thematic contributions as they reviewed it and coordinated to provide comments on the document. They chose in particular to elaborate on the effective participation of stakeholders and young people, and to improve its text as regards to reaching transformative change for Nature. The Manifesto was then submitted to the Members’ Assembly for approval and will be further shared to other environmental organizations, including at the upcoming meetings of the CBD.

Stop the Same: The Youth is heard!

While some of the young leaders worked hard on providing their views on the draft Marseille Manifesto, the delegation kept being involved in the final few sessions offered on the last public day of Congress.

The closing plenary of the Post-2020 Partnership Pavilion offered the opportunity to Jimena Ojeda (Peru Scouting) to give her thoughts and expertise on the way forward to a nature-positive, equitable and carbon-neutral future. She stressed that the stakes for a just transition were never this high, and that all stakeholders should be welcomed to take part as direct contributors to this transformation.

There is a momentum, a momentum for gender equality, for the inclusion of all people. We just cannot afford to have things going the way they are going. We have to do more for the people out there, to educate them.” Jimena Ojeda, Scouting Peru

As the last meeting of the youth delegation was held to bid farewell to this amazing group of activists, newly-elected IUCN President Razan al Mubarak stopped by to gather their impressions after these few days. She listened carefully to their feedback, and commended their dedication to improving the way IUCN includes youth and their expertise. She also underlined that work still needed to be done to reach meaningful youth participation, and committed to work alongside stakeholders to this end. “The new president was here this morning. She has heard you. The DG has heard you.”  Hannah Moosa, IUCN

Watch youth representatives video at IUCN WCC 2021 in Marseille:

IUCN Local Action Summit

This first IUCN Summit for Local Action made the case for investing in nature-based solutions as part of a green recovery. In alignment with the Edinburgh Process and pertaining Edinburgh Declaration , the Summit built momentum towards the adoption of an ambitious and inclusive post-2020 global biodiversity framework. Prepared by a set of four preliminary webinars, the summit showcase and galvanise the efforts of subnational governments at all levels and their partners to deliver positive biodiversity outcomes. Hosted by IUCN Urban alliance and IUCN French Committee, the summit mobilized high level representatives including Bérangère Abba, French Secretary of State for Biodiversity, who explained why cities and regions were central to the successful implementation of this new framework.

Local and subnational governments have the strategic leverages to stop biodiversity loss. A multilevel governance that strengthens the role of cities and regions is needed for Nature!” Emmanuelle Wargon, Minister of Housing, FranceThe event gave the floor to several municipalities and regions, including the host city of Marseille, highlighting the added value of multi-level governance and vertical integration for multilateral negotiation agreements processes and their implementation.

“Cities diplomacy shows that local and subnational governments are sometimes more ambitious and transformative: where states fail, cities can succeed to protect & restore biodiversity !” Michèle Rubirola, Deputy Mayor, Marseille

Attended both online and in person by SLNGs from across the world, the event also came as a unique opportunity to showcase SLNGs’ action for nature and their transformative policy practices, and convince their peers to equally value their commitments for nature under the CBD endorsed platform CitiesWithNature.

The Province of Misiones joined CitiesWithNature and acts to develop a nature positive economy.”  Patricio Lombardi, Minister of Climate change

Local and subnational governments and their networks coming up with a Declaration on their way to CBD COP15!

As a follow up to this one-of-a-time Local Action Summit, the heads of local and subnational governments’ networks later came together on September 9th in an effort to rally around and mobilize across their constituencies on the roadmap to CBD COP15.

The world of conservation like IUCN today has a great interest in embracing urban development challenges including the external impact of cities on nature, beyond its border. Multiple local and subnational governments are ready to adhere to and support IUCN.” Ronan Dantec, President, AFCCRE

Hosted by AFCCRE, the event gathered UGLCs, ICLEI, Regions4, AFCCRE and IUCN Urban Alliance among key networks, advocating for the recognition of IUCN membership for SLNGs.

The cooperation between IUCN and local and subnational governments’ leaders is getting tighter as mainstreaming nature in the discipline of urban planning becomes a moral imperative.” Russel Galt, IUCN Urban Alliance

Just as the pandemic crisis showed that the consumption system of many cities depends too on unsustainable practices, a territorial approach for food producing industries to allow small and sustainable farmers to foster their activities was appealed to. As agents of change and innovation, SLNGs were invited to rethink our ways of life, of production and consumption to make sure that our development model is coherent with the well-being of communities, reinforcing local public services.

The event was also an opportunity to feature the brand new Local and Subnational Advocacy for Nature website, as a tool complementing the commitment platform integrated on CitiesWithNature platform, and soon to be adopted RegionsWithNature – acknowledging Regions as pillar of biodiversity policies pivotal to the partnerships implemented with states. This also came as an opportunity renew the calls for the signature of the Edinburgh Declaration.

The Edinburgh Declaration is our call to CBD Parties to adopt a dedicated decision for Local and Subnational governments and a renewed plan of action for them !” Mairi McAllan, Minister for the Environment and Land Reform, Scotland Government

Reinforcing and converging with the Edinburgh Declaration, the participating networks adopted by acclamation a declaration entitled “Local Action : the Foundation for biodiversity conservation – Declaration of networks of local and regional authorities on the occasion of the World Conservation Congress”, gathering a set of 12 key requests for action.

ICLEI via its CBD mandate will convene a Cities summit at COP15 with the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments partners and Chinese authorities.“ Kobie Brand, ICLEI Deputy Secretary General

This session was followed by a discussion on decentralized cooperation and biodiversity featuring French constituencies and their foreign counterparts. They all successfully resulted in the adoption of a motion, acknowledging local and subnational governments the right to adhere to IUCN.

CEOs Summit

The CEO Summit is taking place in parallel to the Local Action Summit and the Youth Summit. We are here to discuss how businesses can also move from commitment to action.” Robyn Seetal, Global Shapers and member of youth constituencies

The CEO Summit featured a dialogue with industry leaders and IUCN constituencies, including representatives from governments and NGOs. It explored the steps businesses could take to accelerate the transformation to a sustainable society. The private sector also issued an urgent call to action to governments, encouraging them to create the policies needed to enable this journey and inspire business to do more to support nature.

Take a look at our E-poster on “Financing the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework” here.

Also read our publication on business mobilization here

The Marseille Manifesto: a call for a transformative and nature-based recovery

Read an extract of the Marseille manifesto, the summit’s main outcome document:

“The next months will largely determine how countries address the biodiversity emergency. Decisive and collaborative action is imperative at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP-15 and beyond. If we are to secure the future of life on the planet, we must halt the loss of biodiversity by 2030 and achieve ecosystem recovery and restoration by 2050. The IUCN Congress urges governments, the private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Indigenous Peoples’ Organisations and Community-Based Organisations to take actions that drastically reduce the causes of biodiversity loss, and drive transformative changes across all sectors. This includes a shift in cultural relationships with nature to ensure its conservation, restoration, and sustainable use.” Marseille Manifesto

In its final hours, the Congress overwhelmingly endorsed a blueprint to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. It calls for a deal to “ensure there is more nature globally in 2030 than there was in 2020”.

It was largely welcomed by campaigners, who had earlier expressed “deep concerns at the lack of ambition” of the draft framework for protecting biodiversity under the CBD.

Watch IUCN World Conservation Congress sum up video:



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