Kunming 2021 Convention on Biological Diversity

In this part, some information on Convention on Biological Diversity and 2020 Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming will be introduced. Biodiversity is the basis for the survival and development of human society. Many aspects of our clothing, food, housing, transportation and material and cultural life are closely related to the maintenance of biodiversity. However, the value of biodiversity is often not valued by people. When people use biological resources, they consume directly without market circulation, just take it and use it. Biodiversity has a high value of development and utilization. In the economic activities of all countries in the world, the development and utilization of biodiversity occupy a very important position. In order to protect biodiversity and make better use of biodiversity for the benefit of mankind, the United Nations regularly holds Convention on Biological Diversity. 

About Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD)

Convention on Biological Diversity is an international convention for the protection of the earth’s biological resources. It was adopted at the 7th meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee initiated by the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi on June 1, 1992. On June 5, 1992, the signatory countries signed it at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Convention entered into force on December 29, 1993. The permanent secretariat is located in Montreal, Canada. The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity is the highest decision-making body in the world to implement the Convention. All major decisions regarding the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity must be adopted by the Conference of the Parties. The Convention on Biological Diversity has a wide range of objectives and deals with major issues concerning the future of mankind. It has become a milestone in international law. The main objectives are to protect biodiversity, ensure the sustainable use of biodiversity components, and share commercial benefits and other forms of utilization of genetic resources in a fair and reasonable way.

As the highest deliberation and decision-making mechanism of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Conference of the Parties is held every two years. The results of the Conference will guide the development trend of the Convention on Biological Diversity process and indicate the direction for global biodiversity protection. The The 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 13) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held in December 2016 decided that The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2020 would be held in China.

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2020 Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming

The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will be held in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China in October, 2020. The theme of the convention is “Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth”.

Confirmation

On September 3, 2019, in Beijing, Chinese Minister of Ecological Environment Li Ganjie and Dr. Cristiana Paşca Palmer, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD), jointly released the theme of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15)- “Ecological Civilization: Building a Community of Life on Earth”. It has been confirmed that CBD COP15 will be held from October 19-31, 2020 in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.

Significance

2020 will be the closing year of the last UN biodiversity target. At the COP15 conference in Kunming, CBD parties will consider and adopt a new “post-2020 global biodiversity framework”. In other words, COP15 will summarize the progress of global biodiversity conservation in the past 10 years, draw up a blueprint for global biodiversity conservation in the next 10 years, and set the goals and directions for global biodiversity conservation in 2030 or even longer. The international community has paid great attention to and placed great hopes on it. Holding COP15 is of great significance to demonstrate the achievements of China’s ecological civilization construction and to participate deeply in the global ecological environment governance.

Ecological Civilization: Building a Community of Life on Earth

This theme aims to promote the establishment of a common future for all life on earth and emphasizes that human beings and nature share a planet. We must respect, sustainably use and protect nature in order to realize the vision of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the 2050 living in harmony with nature, and to promote the three objectives of the Convention. This theme reflects the will of the international community to build a common future for all life on earth by using green and sustainable development methods in an inclusive manner.

Biodiversity is the foundation that supports all life on earth and is also the foundation of economic and social development. Biodiversity can provide natural solutions to common challenges facing mankind such as global climate change and sustainable economic development. At present, biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history. Protecting biodiversity is extremely urgent.