Highlights and images for 31 August 2021

The Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework reconvened, completing negotiations in the contact group on goals, milestones, and overall structure of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF). This was followed by a plenary session to, among others, take stock of progress of all the contact groups, and receive pending statements from observers on the first draft of the GBF.

The contact group on goals, milestones, and overall structure of the GBF continued deliberations under the guidance of co-leads Norbert Baerlocher (Switzerland) and Vinod Mathur (India). Delegates completed discussions on the goals B, C and D on:

• nature’s contribution to people through conservation and sustainable use;
• benefits from the utilization of genetic resources; and
• closing the gap on the means of implementation for the GBF.

They also provided comments and suggestions on the overall structure of the GBF and Sections A-E namely: Background; Purpose; Relationship with the 2030 Agenda; Theory of change; and 2050 Vision and 2030 Vision.

During the plenary session, delegates took stock of progress made in the contact groups. Co-Lead Norbert Baerlocher (Switzerland) reported that the contact group on goals, milestones, and overall structure of the GBF completed its task. Co-Lead Lactita Tshitwamulmoni Tshililo (South Africa) similarly reported that the contact group on the digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources completed discussions under its remit, including identifying areas of convergence and divergence between delegates, as well as the relevance of DSI to the GBF.

The plenary also received comments from observer groups and completed the first reading of the first draft of the GBF.

The final discussions of the plenary focused on the draft decision to be sent to the next Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.