Faiths Celebrate COP16 Advances, Push for Stronger Future Commitments
Cali, Colombia (3 November 2024) – With the COP16 UN biodiversity conference in Colombia now suspended until a future place and time, Faiths for Biodiversity welcomes several key achievements, particularly:
the establishment of a permanent subsidiary body for Indigenous Peoples and the adoption of the Article 8(j) work program;
the agreement that 50% of the new Cali Fund will support Indigenous Peoples and local communities, which reflects a strong step toward inclusive, rights-based approaches to conservation;
and, the recognition of Afro-descendant peoples' contributions to biodiversity, which represents a step toward the more inclusive, whole-of-society approach.
These decisions guarantee the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the work undertaken under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
“Terricide not only kills the Earth, but also kills the cultures, traditions, and dreams of those who have lived in harmony with it for millennia,” said Jocabed Reina Solano Miselis, Director of Memoria Indígena for Unidos en Misión and member of the delegation of the World Council of Churches. “It is as if, by cutting down a forest, we were burning an ancestral library, destroying the knowledge and stories that have been transmitted from generation to generation. And it is supported by epistemicide, in the words of my grandfather Gunadule: Killing the Spirit of knowledge and wisdom of the Indigenous Peoples. With the establishment of a permanent subsidiary body and the adoption of the Article 8(j) work program, finally the value of the traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and local communities is recognized, a historical debt in the CBD of 26 years is settled.”
Faiths for Biodiversity also welcome progress on marine and coastal biodiversity, including the adoption of procedures for describing Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) after 8 years of negotiations, which marks a significant step toward achieving the target of conserving 30% of ocean areas by 2030.
Finally, we are encouraged by the recognition of the need for greater synergies between the Rio Conventions as well as the biodiversity and climate change decision that includes a strengthened commitment to align NBSAPs with NDCs.
“We strongly welcome these outcomes, and we also worry about a broader pattern of resistance to incorporating comprehensive human rights language across different areas of negotiation,” said Alexandra Goossens-Ishii, Policy Lead for Faiths for Biodiversity and Programme Coordinator for Climate & Environment Advocacy for Soka Gakkai International. “Sustainable environmental outcomes cannot be achieved without respecting and upholding human rights. Ensuring a human rights-based approach to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) will lead to more effective and just conservation outcomes. Moreover, serious concerns remain about ambition levels, with the decisions on finance and on the planning, monitoring, reporting and review frameworks not adopted, and crucial gaps in finance remaining unresolved. These gaps must be addressed before COP17 to ensure effective implementation."
In addition to its policy achievements, COP16 marked a historic moment for faith engagement, with unprecedented participation from religious communities. Faiths for Biodiversity hosted over 30 events at the dedicated Faith Hub and launched a groundbreaking report demonstrating how faith groups worldwide are already implementing the KMGBF.
“The record number of faith delegates at a CBD COP shows that religious communities increasingly recognize biodiversity loss as a moral imperative requiring urgent action,” said Gopal Patel, Co-Coordaintor of Faiths for Biodiversity and Co-Founder of FutureFaith. “As we move forward from Cali, faith communities will continue to be at the forefront of nature protection and restoration. They will leverage their moral voice, vast global networks, and deep connections to local communities to advance this critical work. While governments struggled to reach final agreements on key items, faith groups remain committed to turning the KMGBF from promise to reality.”
Faiths for Biodiversity celebrates the progress made in Cali and the vital contributions of faith communities towards implementing the KMGBF. While challenges remain, particularly in finance and ambition levels, the spirit of cooperation seen at COP16 needs to continue to grow.
The key takeaway is clear: implementation is paramount. Faith communities are committed to engaging at all levels to turn commitments into action and make the vision of living in harmony with nature a reality for all.
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For more information
Contact: Wesley Cocozello, Communications Lead
Email: wesleycocozello@gmail.com
About Faiths for Biodiversity
Faiths for Biodiversity is an international coalition of faith-based organizations mobilizing and advocating for strong, ambitious action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Established following the United Nations Summit on Biodiversity in 2020, and leading up to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15, the coalition is dedicated to advancing the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
