COP16- Cali, Colombia: Convention on Biological Diversity in the context of gender

On the 21st of October 2024 in Cali, Colombia, the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity started. It is also the 11th meeting of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the 5th meeting of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of the Benefits Arising from their Utilization.

This year's theme is "Peace with Nature". The most urgent task set for COP16 is for governments to hold businesses accountable for their non-sustainable actions and strengthen policies and nature-protecting actions. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework implemented at the COP15 will be reviewed as well as countries' commitments to achieve its targets. The COP16 will be attended by Governments, indigenous communities, businesses, the general public, academia, organizations and youth groups.

Since the last COP two years ago, there has been some policy progress: 44% of governments updated their action plans or national targets; 17,5% of land and 8,5% of marine areas were under protection in 2024; 83 out of 166 ratified WTO Fisheries Agreement; 13 out of 104 ratified High Seas Treaty and 32 countries supports deep-sea mining moratorium. In 2024 2,6 trillion dollars were spent on subsidies that harm the environment.

At COP16, negotiations are expected to focus on three key elements crucial for implementing the Biodiversity Plan:

- Operationalizing the monitoring framework, which includes indicators for each of the 23 targets, enabling governments to report on their progress.

- Mobilizing the necessary financial resources for successful implementation, with a focus on achieving Target 18 (reforming environmentally harmful subsidies) and Target 19 (mobilizing $200 billion per year by 2030).

- Finalizing the multilateral mechanism or fair and equitable Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) related to the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources.

One of the issues addressed in the Convention on Biological Diversity is Gender and Biodiversity. In different countries and cultures, women have various responsibilities in management of the biodiversity and decision-making connected to it. In most cases, women are treated unequally in comparison to men.

There are big gender disparities in economic opportunities, access and control over land, biodiversity resources, and other useful assets. These differences extend to decision-making power and vulnerability to biodiversity loss, climate change, and natural disasters. To develop effective policies for biodiversity conservation, sustainable use, and benefit-sharing, it is essential to understand and highlight gender-specific biodiversity practices, the ways men and women acquire and use knowledge, and the unequal control over resources. It is also important to consider how gender differences and inequalities shape the impacts of biodiversity policies, planning, and programs on both women and men.

It is important to address the connection between gender and biodiversity to improve biodiversity conservation methods. Studies have shown that empowering women to participate equally in decision-making- on issues like information, education, technology, and policy- leads to more effective actions to protect biodiversity. Gender equality is also essential for sustainable development and the enjoyment of fundamental human rights. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in environmental protection, requires the full participation of women.