The eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was held from 8 to19 October 2012, in Hyderabad, India. Approximately 6,000 delegates representing parties and other governments, UN agencies, intergovernmental, non-governmental, indigenous and local community organizations, academia and the private sector participated in the meeting.
CBD COP 11 adopted 33 decisions on a range of strategic, substantive, administrative, financial and budgetary issues. Among other issues, the meeting addressed: the status of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing (ABS); implementation of the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and progress towards the Aichi biodiversity targets; and implementation of the Strategy for Resource Mobilization.
Deliberations also focused on: issues related to financial resources and the financial mechanism; cooperation, outreach and the UN Decade on Biodiversity; operations of the Convention; and administrative and budgetary matters. Delegates also addressed: ecosystem restoration; Article 8(j) (traditional knowledge); marine and coastal biodiversity; biodiversity and climate change; biodiversity and development; and several other ecosystem-related and cross-cutting issues.
Delegates agreed to set an interim target of doubling biodiversity-related international financial resource flows to developing countries by 2015, and at least maintaining this level until 2020. This is coupled with targets on improving baseline information, as well as a preliminary reporting framework for monitoring resource mobilization.
Following the impressive package adopted at COP 10 in Nagoya, Japan, COP 11 marked the move from policy-making to implementation. Generally, the meeting adopted a set of decisions on items ranging from ecosystem restoration and marine and coastal biodiversity to the Nagoya Protocol and customary sustainable use to set the groundwork for intense inter-sessional work with a focus on implementation at the national and local level.
In light of the ambitious Aichi targets and heightened attention to measuring actual progress on the ground in reducing biodiversity loss after the failure to meet the 2010 target, developing countries were expecting concrete and firm commitment from developed countries.
Many were equally concerned about relying on voluntary funds to hold the next meeting of the Article 8(j) Working Group, but saw an unexpected ray of hope in the unprecedented offer by the African Group and India to contribute to its convening—the first time that developing countries have made such an offer in the history of the CBD.
Debates about budget and financial issues dominated the agenda in Hyderabad while significant substantive items had already been resolved, such as marine and climate change issues. Eventually, COP 11 produced a long and demanding list of continued and new tasks for the Convention, keeping expectations high even in times of economic crisis.
COP 11 was in many respects a transitional COP. It was an opportunity to prove commitment to the ambitious, post-Nagoya implementation roadmap, which emerged with difficulty due to the critical question of resource mobilization.
Sources: CBD, IISD Reporting Services
For further information:
http://www.cbd.int/cop11/
http://www.iisd.ca/biodiv/cop11/
http://biodiversity-l.iisd.org/news/cbd-cop-11-adopts-interim-target-and-roadmap-for-resource-mobilization/
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MEPIELAN Centre
MEPIELAN Centre is an international research, training and educational centre established by Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos at the Panteion University of Athens in 2008.
Before its establishment as a University Centre, MEPIELAN operated as a successful international research, training and informational programme (2002-2007) under the scientific direction of Professor Evangelos Raftopoulos and the aegis of the Panteion University of Athens, supported by the Mediterranean Action Plan/UNEP and the Greek Ministry of the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works.
MEPIELAN Centre is an accredited UNEP/MAP PARTNER (since 2013), a Member of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) (since 2016), and a Member of the Steering Committee of the MCSD (since 2019).
On 22 May 2022, MEPIELAN Centre proceeded to the development of MEPIELAN as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) for the more effective and efficient advancement of its Goals and Missions and furtherance of its activities. MEPIELAN Centre as a Non- Profit Civil Organization (INGO) is registered in Greek Law (Hellenic Business Registry, Reg. No. 16477300100) in accordance with Laws 4072/2012 & 4919/2022 as applicable
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