Back to Pacific Preparatory Meeting, held in preparation for the COP15
Anne Claire Goarant, from the Pacific Community, reports on the SPREP Pacific Preparatory Meeting, held October 17-21, 2022 in Fiji, in preparation for the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to be held in Montreal in December 2022.
In preparation of the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Montreal on December 2022, SPREP organized a Pacific preparatory meeting from 17-21 October 2022 in Fiji.
The draft Global Biodiversity framework with its 23 targets is still under negotiation (8 targets on protecting the status of biodiversity, 5 on the biodiversity’ use, and 7 on the mechanisms to make sure these actions happen) and will be approved next December.
The CBD COP15 is a major opportunity for ensuring that the special situation of Small Island Developing States are considered effectively in the design of biodiversity protections and monitoring as well as resourcing of biodiversity-related actions over the next decade.
The draft Global Biodiversity Framework only uses the word ‘island’ three times in the goals, targets and approach to the framework.
This Preparatory meeting provided a forum for the Pacific Parties to discuss key regional priority issues and prepare regional positions, as appropriate, to strengthen engagement at the COP meeting and continue with the One Pacific Voice for top priorities.
A Kiwa Initiative side event has been organized on October 19th by IUCN, in partnership with SPC and SPREP and in the presence of Pacific Islands representatives, universities, PIRT (The Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation) members, donors, etc. This event was an opportunity to learn more about Kiwa’s capacity building support and the implementation of regional and local projects in the Pacific region.
