CoP-16 to the UNCBD

Posted 17 Dec 2024

7 min read

Why in the News?

Recently, 16^th Conference of Parties (CoP-16) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) concluded in Cali, Colombia.

About UNCBD

Origin: International legally binding treaty adopted at the United Nation’s Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992.
- Entered into force in 1993, and operates under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Objectives: Conservation of biological diversity; sustainable use of its components; and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.
Secretariat: Montreal, Canada.
Members: Ratified by 196 members (India became a party to the convention in 1994).
- USA hasn’t ratified the convention.
Governing mechanism: CoP meets every two years (biennial) to review progress, set priorities and commit to work plans.

About KMGBF

It is a non-binding framework adopted at the CoP-15 to CBD at Montreal, Canada in 2022.
Successor to ‘Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020’ and its Aichi Targets.
Aim: To halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
Goals: Sets 4 goals to be achieved by 2050:
Protect and restore: Ecosystem & species health including halting human-induced species extinction.
Prosper with nature: i.e., sustainable use of biodiversity.
Share benefits fairly: Equitable sharing of benefits from utilization of digital sequence information (DSI) and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources etc.
Invest and collaborate: To closing the biodiversity finance gap of $700 billion per year.
Targets: Sets 23 targets to be met by 2030 addressing threats to biodiversity, meeting people’s needs through sustainable use etc.
Some of the key targets being:
30-by-30 Target (i.e. 30% conservation of land, sea, and inland water and 30% restoration of various degraded ecosystems by 2030).
Reducing the introduction of invasive alien species by 50% by 2030.
Formulate mechanism for “benefit-sharing from use of Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on genetic sources” and traditional knowledge.

Major Outcomes of CoP-16

Financial mechanism for DSI: Operationalisation of Cali Fund for sharing the benefits from use of DSI on genetic resources in a more fair and equitable way.
- Companies benefiting commercially from DSI to contribute 1% of their profit (0.1% of their revenues) to support Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Recognition of rights of indigenous communities: Through establishment of permanent subsidiary body under Article 8(j) of the UNCBD and Cali Fund to enhance participation of indigenous people in all convention processes.
- At least 50% of the Cali Fund is for self-identified needs of indigenous communities including women and youth.
Finance mobilization: Launch of Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) under the aegis of Global Environment Facility (GEF) to support the goals and targets under KMGBF.
- Earlier at CoP-15, Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) was agreed and established by GEF.
Identification of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs): Agreement on new and evolved mechanisms to identify EBSAs and update existing ones.
- Crucial for 30-by-30 Target under KMGBF and Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement (High Seas Treaty).
Thematic Action Plan: To address inequity in capacity-building, technology transfer of developing countries and local communities in the field of synthetic biology.
Invasive alien species management: Guidelines for managing invasive alien species through new databases, improved cross-border trade regulations, etc. to align with the goals of KMGBF.
Approved Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health: The strategy embraces ‘One Health’ approach to curb the emergence of zoonotic diseases, prevent non-communicable diseases etc.

India’s commitment at CoP-16

Updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP): Comprising of 23 targets, it adopts a ‘Whole of Government’ and ‘Whole of Society’ approach aligning itself with KMGBF.
Budgetary Allocation: Around ₹81,664 crore on biodiversity and conservation efforts for the period 2025-30.
Call for resource mobilization: Stressed the need for cooperation in mobilizing international financial resources, as laid down under KMGBF’s Target 19 for implementation of NBSAP.
- Target 19 calls for mobilizing $200 billion per year for biodiversity from all sources, including $30 billion through international finance.
Other highlights: Advocates for global conservation through ‘Plant4Mother’ Campaign; wildlife conservation through establishment of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA); increase in Ramsar sites from 26 to 85 since 2014 etc.

Shortcomings of CoP-16

Resource and finance mobilization: Developed countries lagged on their commitment to provide $20 billion annually in international biodiversity financing by 2025.
- Also, pledges to GBFF were meagre with only $163 million pledged during COP-16.
Monitoring framework for KMGBF: Decision to update and complete the Monitoring framework with its indicators to track progress in implementing the KMGBF has not been reached.
Delay in Planning, Monitoring, Reporting, and Review (PMRR) mechanisms: These mechanisms establish the procedures for review of global and national progress on KMGBF Targets.
Submission of NBSAPs: Only 44 countries out of 196 member states submitted their updated NBSAPs aligned with KMGBF, while 119 countries reported on their National Targets (step before construction of NBSAP).
Cali Fund (DSI Fund): Though operationalized, but lacks consensus on contributions to the fund and mechanisms for financial and technical resource allocation.
Disagreements over biodiversity credits and offsets: KMGBF included these as ‘innovative scheme’ to increase financial resources for biodiversity protection.

Conclusion

The roadmap for CoP-17 at Yerevan, Armenia, in 2026, lies in solidifying financial mechanisms under KMGBF’s Target 19 at the next interim meeting in Bangkok; strengthening Monitoring Frameworks and PMRR mechanisms for accountability; and enhancing NBSAPs with time-bound action plans mirroring NDCs under Paris agreement. Additionally, fostering global cooperation, inclusive partnerships, and technology transfers are critical in achieving the 2030 KMGBF targets.

Digital Sequence Information (DSI)

In the recently concluded CoP-16 to CBD, Cali Fund was operationalized to share the benefits arising from uses of DSI of genetic resources in a more fair and equitable way (3^rd objective of CBD).

About DSI

It is a policy term that refers broadly to genomic sequence data and other related digital data of organisms used for research in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, biodiversity conservation etc.
It includes digital representation of genetic resources/ sequencing and biological data, such as DNA, RNA, and protein sequences etc.
- There is yet no consensus as to exact interpretation and scope of the term.
It allows scientists to study the genetic makeup of organisms without actually needing the physical samples thus enhancing advancements in genetics and conservation efforts.

Significance of DSI

Genetic research (e.g. virologists used SARSCoV-2 DSI to design diagnostic kits during COVID-19);Agriculture and food security (e.g. pest-resistant, climate-resilient crop varieties etc.); Biodiversity conservation; preserving traditional knowledge; etc.

Challenges with DSI

Lack of equitable benefit sharing; Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) concerns associated with ownership of traditional knowledge; absence of efficient benefit-sharing framework, Lack of accountability; privacy concerns, data security risks, technological constraints, etc.

Key Initiatives for DSI

Goal-C (Share benefits fairly) and Target-13 of KMGBF: Promotes equitable sharing of benefits from utilization of DSI and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources etc.
‘One Day One Genome’ initiative by Government of India
Launched by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC), Govt. of India (GoI).
Aim: Publicly release a fully annotated bacteriological genome, enhancing scientific knowledge, driving innovation, and making microbial genomics data accessible to researchers and the community.