COP17 urges action to meet biodiversity goals

China has urged developed countries to accelerate the fulfillment of their commitments to mobilize resources and build capacity to help developing countries strengthen their ability to implement the global biodiversity agenda.

Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu made the remarks at the opening of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on Sunday, according to a media release from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on Tuesday.

Known as COP17, the biennial United Nations conference is being held in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, through Oct 30 under the theme "Taking Action for Nature". Parties are set to conduct the first global review of collective progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted under China's presidency of COP15 in late 2022.

The framework sets four long-term goals for 2050 and 23 action-oriented global targets for 2030. One of the targets calls for at least 30 percent of degraded terrestrial, inland water, marine and coastal ecosystems to be under effective restoration by 2030.

Huang, who presided over COP15, briefed delegates on the outcomes of the Kunming Dialogue, a meeting held in Kunming, Yunnan province, in September as part of the global review of progress in implementing the framework.

The dialogue put forward five recommendations for parties to advance implementation of the framework, including strengthening support for developing countries through resource mobilization and capacity building, Huang said.

It also recommended that parties formulate, update and implement national targets in accordance with their respective national conditions and advance the mainstreaming of biodiversity, he said.

In addition, parties should comprehensively assess implementation progress and further refine implementation pathways, policy tools and priority actions to ensure the framework is implemented fully, in a balanced manner and effectively, Huang said.

The dialogue also called for improved participation mechanisms through stronger cross-sectoral coordination and broader channels for public engagement to promote a holistic societal approach to biodiversity governance.

Another recommendation was to strengthen the data foundation by establishing monitoring systems for ecosystems and species resources to support science-based decision-making, he added.

Huang said China, as the COP15 presidency, had worked with all parties to secure the landmark framework, opening a new chapter in global biodiversity governance.

The Kunming Dialogue focused on gaps and challenges in achieving the framework's 2030 targets, including the formulation of national targets and national biodiversity strategies and action plans. It recognized the efforts made by parties to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, Huang said.

However, he noted that a considerable gap remained between collective global action and the level of ambition set out in the framework, calling on parties to take systemic and transformative measures to strengthen biodiversity conservation.

In the face of global challenges such as biodiversity loss, parties should remain focused on their goals and translate the framework's key tasks into concrete action to ensure the 2030 targets are achieved on schedule, he said.

Huang also called on parties to uphold multilateralism, strengthen developed countries' commitments, enhance experience sharing and capacity building, and work together to advance global biodiversity governance.