In October 2024, governments from around the world will gather in Cali, Colombia, for the United Nations Biodiversity Conference of Parties 16 (COP16). The key focus will be discussions and negotiations around putting the Kunming-Montreal Agreement (COP15) into action through National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plans (NBSAPs).
The three main areas of focus will be:
- Implementing the Global Biodiversity Plan: Governments will need to develop and align their NBSAPs with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
- Enhancing Monitoring and Funding: COP-16 will work on improving the monitoring system and increasing financial support to achieve the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
- Finalizing Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms: A key task will be to finalize and implement a system for the fair sharing of benefits, especially with indigenous communities from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources.
OUR MISSION AT COP-16
At the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), we believe forest stewardship offers the best path forward to addressing pressing global challenges, such as biodiversity loss (SDG 15). FSC is dedicated to ensuring that forests are managed and valued as vibrant ecosystems, rich in biodiversity, and resilient in the face of climate change.
Responsible forest stewardship through active forest management is, therefore, essential to enabling forest biodiversity goals that countries establish in NBSAPs. FSC Certification is our core solution - with 30 years of implementation and continuous development.
COP16 represents an opportunity to demonstrate to relevant stakeholders, particularly governments, how FSC certification can support their goals and how they can also contribute to scaling up the uptake of FSC certification in their countries through different policies, strategies and initiatives.
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