Highlights and images for 24 August 2021

The second meeting of the Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework resumed to complete general discussions on digital sequence information (DSI), and begin the first reading of the draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF).

Co-Chair Francis Ogwal (Uganda) led participants in observing a moment of silence to mourn the demise of Neimatullo Safarov (Tajikistan), a veteran Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) delegate who passed away from COVID-19 the previous day.

During the resumed discussions on DSI, many addressed the need to support capacity building and technology transfer to ensure equity in access and use of DSI. Delegates heard observer statements highlighting, among other things, the threat of misappropriation of genetic resources through DSI and the need to respect the rights of local knowledge holders. Co-Chair Basile van Havre (Canada) established a contact group on DSI, co-chaired by Lactitia Tshitwamulomoni (South Africa) and Gaute Voigt-Hanssen (Norway), to draft text on DSI, taking into account the interventions from parties.

Delegates then addressed the GBF first draft, providing general remarks on its content. Several lauded the Co-Chairs’ first draft based on input from intersessional work since the second meeting of the Working Group in February 2020, and supported regional statements, which included:

• The European Union, who emphasized the ecosystem approach and the need for biodiversity mainstreaming, calling for synergies with addressing climate change, and ensuring a green and just recovery from the pandemic.
• The African Group, who urged a strong connection between all the GBF elements and balancing the three objectives of the CBD through: simplification of the structure; avoiding ambiguity; making targets more outcome-oriented, smart and measureable; emphasis on ecosystem restoration; and resource mobilization by the time the GBF is adopted,
• Latin American and Caribbean Group, who urged: building a solid structure, through streamlining and deletion of milestones to merge with targets as appropriate; supporting recovery from biodiversity loss by building sustainable value chains and agriculture, and mainstreaming biodiversity and ensuring intergenerational equity.
• Central and Eastern Europe, who called for sustainable production and consumption to be the most important point of the GBF, National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) as the main tool for implementation, and clarity of terms, including in the glossary.

Noting that plenary had not managed to complete the first reading of the GBF, Co-Chair Ogwal announced that plenary would continue on Wednesday, 25 August, to hear remaining party statements, followed by interventions from observers.