This Monday begins the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP16) in Colombia, with the participation of 196 countries, including the Dominican Republic, whose delegation will focus its agenda on topics such as the development of a strategy aimed at reducing the loss of biodiversityan initiative derived from the Global Biodiversity Framework, signing in 2022.
Marina Hernández, director of Biodiversity of the Ministry of Environmentexplained that the Creole delegation is made up of 25 participants, which include Minister Paíno Henríquez and representatives of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Colombia.
“It will be the largest delegation that had participated due to the interest and willingness to face the problem and conservation of the Biodiversity“, indicated the official to Free Diary.
DR and the World Framework of Biodiversity
The COP16 Its main focus is the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Framework that was approved two years ago (at the last summit), aimed at protecting 30% of the planet, including terrestrial, marine and freshwater areas.
Asked about the progress that the Dominican Republic has made in the implementation of this global agreement, Hernández said: “the Ministry of Environment has been coordinating the formulation of the National Strategy for Biodiversitywhose central objective is to reduce the accelerated loss of biodiversity”.
“It has been a participatory process in which various workshops and consultations have been carried out with the participation of sectors and interest groups such as women, young people and people with disabilities. We hope to continue with the formulation to establish a Strategy that guides us on the path to follow,” explained Hernández.
He added that the Framework Biodiversity “It contains 23 goals that express a route to achieve the objectives set forth in the agreement, which have served as a guide so that the countries can align their respective national strategies.”
Conservation requires more sector integration
Regarding the deficiencies or weaknesses that the country has presented at the time of applying the agreement, the director of Biodiversity emphasized the need to integrate agricultural, tourism, mining and construction sectors in the conservation and sustainable use of the biodiversity.
He pointed out that the establishment of public policies that take into account the conservation of biological diversity is also required. “More than deficiencies, it is important to strengthen. The Dominican Republic has a strengthened legal and regulatory framework for the conservation of the biodiversity“It is important to strengthen its application and ensure compliance,” he indicated.
“Security is felt among the participants”
Security in Cali has been one of the most discussed points in the weeks leading up to the summit, because violence in the area has intensified due to conflicts between the Colombian government and armed groups.
When asked about her assessment of security within the framework of the summit, Hernández stated that in the surroundings of the Pacific Convention Center (which will house the COP16) “armored vehicles are observed and the government has deployed more than 11,000 military and police officers. This makes the participants of this important Summit feel safe.”
The sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity is the big environmental event before COP29, which takes place in Baku from 11 to 22 November.
