UNESCO's contribution to the UN Biodiversity Conference - COP 16
About COP 16
Hosted by Colombia, COP 16, will take place in Cali from 21 October to 1 November 2024. It will be the first Biodiversity COP since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP 15 in December 2022. COP 16 will also host the 11th meeting of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the 5th meeting of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing of Genetic Resources.
Governments will assess progress in implementing this framework, which aims to halt biodiversity loss by 2030. It will also focus on aligning national strategies, advancing resource mobilization, improving the monitoring framework, and finalizing a mechanism for fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources.
The outcomes of COP 16 will be crucial for global biodiversity conservation and achieving long-term environmental goals.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: A new path to protect biodiversity
The 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15) took place in Montreal on 7-9 December 2022, under the presidency of China. This COP adopted a new post-2020 , which set global targets to halt and reverse the erosion of biodiversity.
The framework is a global plan for biodiversity and features a roadmap to achieve three objectives: Conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of its components, and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources.
With 4 goals for 2050 and 23 targets to be achieved by 2030, it aims to address the alarming loss of biodiversity and restore natural ecosystems. They include:
- Protect 30% of Earth’s lands, oceans, coastal areas, inland waters;
- Reduce by $500 billion annual harmful government subsidies;
- Cut food waste in half
UNESCO’s contribution
UNESCO is fully committed to support its Member States in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and has even higher ambitions in recognizing the multiple values of nature, including in a cultural perspective.
By leveraging its unique network of designated sites—biosphere reserves, World Heritage sites, and UNESCO Global Geoparks—UNESCO turns local, indigenous, and scientific knowledge into concrete actions. These sites aim to ensure a sustainable future where both people and nature thrive in harmony by emphasizing the diverse values of life, reconnecting humans with the biosphere, promoting individual behavior change, and encouraging collective actions that shape public policy.
The Organization remains committed to working with governments, indigenous communities, and international partners to achieve their biodiversity ambitious goals.
Events at COP 16
Click on the dropdown menu below to find out more on the events organized by UNESCO and partners at COP 16.
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All day
Venue: Bleu Zone - Centro de Eventos Valle Del Pacífico (CEVP)
Organized by CBD
All day
Venue: Green zone - Boulevard del Río 1
Organized by UNESCO's Science Sector
- COP16 Inauguration Ceremony - Plenary hall “Amazonia” of the Centro de Eventos Valle del Pacifico
16:00 pm
- Women Guardians of the Mangrove: '1st International Meeting of ʾԲü of the Eastern Tropical Pacific'
4 - 4:45 pm
Venue: Casa Humboldt, Auditorios Ariporo-Baudó, Green zone
Organized by CAF – Colombia Chancellery
- Women Guardians of the Mangrove: “1st International Meeting of ʾԲü of the Eastern Tropical Pacific”
9:00 - 11:00 am
Venue: Plazoleta San Francisco - Green zone
Organized by CAF – Colombia Chancellery
13:20 pm
Venue: Farallones - Youth meeting room - Plaza One, Blue zone
Organized by CBD | SwedBio | SGI | OHCHR | UNESCO | UNDP | UNEP-WCMC | FOCALI | CDKN- Planning for the integration of two biosphere reserves: RBIOAY and Avireri in the central Peruvian rainforest
13:30 - 14:45 pm
Venue: Peru booth - Blue Zone
Organized by Ministry of Environment
15:00 - 16:20
Venue: Marie Khan Women's Caucus meeting room, Plaza One -Bleu Zone- Whole of Society Approach Accelerates the Implementation of the Plan: OECMs and Local Community Cooperation Actions to Achieve 30x30 Goals and Beyond
14:00 - 16:00 pm
Venue: Nature Positive Initiative Pavilion - Blue Zone
Organized by GEI/WWF
8:00 am - 7:00 pm
Venue: Biodiversity Plan Pavillion - Bleu Zone
Organized by CBD with IUCN, WWF, UNESCO and other partners- Sustainable Management of Agrobiodiversity
9:00 - 10:10 am
Venue: Peru Booth - Bleu Zone
Organized by Member State, participation: FO - Indigenous Knowledge, NbS in Biosphere Reserves in Central America
10:00 - 11:30 am
Venue: EU Pavillion - Blue Zone
Organized by UNESCO | Spanish Cooperation | European Union - The Power of Education: Safeguarding Biodiversity through Green Citizenship
13:30 - 15:00 pm
Venue: IADB Pavilion - Blue Zone
Organized by IADB - World Heritage Dry Forest – an exceptional place of living for biodiversity and people
14:00 - 15:00 pm
Venue: UNESCO booth - Bleu Zone
Organized by UNESCO, Participation: FO - Escazú from the perspective of youth: Experiences generating safe spaces for the defence of the territory
18:00 - 19:00 pm
Venue: Salón Múltiple N°2 de la Camara de Comercio de Cali, Green Zone
Organized by Member State, Participation: FO Juan Criado
13:20 - 14:40 pm
Venue: Chiribiquete - Asia and the Pacific meeting room Plaza One - Belu Zone
Organized by UNESCO Science Sector- Joining forces for the Atsinanana Rainforest – Madagascar, World Heritage in Danger
14:00 - 15:00 pm
Venue: UNESCO booth
Organized by UNESCO, Participation: FO
- Realizing the Value of Biodiversity to Improve the Wellbeing of Local Communities
9:00 am - 17:00 pm
Venue: China Pavilion - Blue Zone
Organized by UNESCO - Indigenous Peoples, Nature-Culture and Traditional Fire Management
10:00 - 11:30 am
Venue: UNESCO Booth - Bleu Zone
Organized by UNESCO Science sector - Culture for caring the diversity of life, the territories and peace
10:00 - 12:00 am
Venue: Gran Tarima, Green Zone
Organized by Colombia Chancellery, Ministries of Culture and Environment
10:10 am
Venue: Asia and the Pacific - Plaza One - Blue zone
Organized by UNESCO Science sector
10:10 am
Venue: NGOs, Plaza One
Organized by UNDRR | UNEP-ROLAC- Tools to support countries in the conservation and management of ocean biodiversity
12:30 - 14:00 pm
Venue: UN Colombia Pavillion - Blue Zone
Organized by UNESCO-IOC - Machu Picchu: A Carbon Neutral and Regenerative Tourism Destination, Experiences for the recovery and conservation of the Machu Picchu landscape
13:30 - 14:45 pm
Venue: Peru Booth - Bleu Zone
Organized by UNESCO, MS, Presence: FO - Climate change vulnerability, biodiversity and risk in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: the whole of government approach in Latin America and the Caribbean
14:00 - 15.30 pm
Venue: UNESCO Booth, Blue Zone
Organized by UNESCO Science Sector - Indigenous Perspectives on the Joint Programme of Work on the Links between Biological and Cultural Diversity: Insights from the Sierra Nevada de ҴDzԲɾԻú
15:00 - 16:00 pm
Venue: UN Colombia Pavilion, Blue Zone
Organized by UNESCO Science Sector
13:20 - 14:40
Venue: Farallones - Youth meeting room - Plaza One - Bleu Zone
18:00 - 19:20 pm
Venue: NGOs - Plaza One - Bleu Zone
Organized by UNESCO Science Sector
8:00 am - 17:00 pm
Venue Bleu Zone
Organized by UNESCO Science Sector- Mangrove restoration as a nature-based solution in biosphere reserves in Latin America and the Caribbean
11:00 - 12:30 am
Venue: UNESCO booth
Organized by UNESCO Science Sector - UNESCO Designated Sites in Brazil
16:30 - 18:00 pm
Venue: UNESCO booth
Organized by UNESCO
- Ocean Science for the Implementation of the GBF - The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development
8:00 - 9:00 am
Venue: UN Colombia Pavilion, Blue Zone
Organized by UNESCO-IOC - Sixth Science-Policy Forum for Biodiversity and the Ninth International Conference on Sustainability Science
8:00 am - 17:00 pm
Venue: La Macarena Room - Blue zone
Organized by UNESCO Science Sector - Ocean Day
8:00 am - 17:00 pm
Venue: KMGBF Pavilion, Blue Zone
Organized by UNESCO-IOC
8:30 am - 18:00 pm
Venue: Sierra Nevada Room, WG2
UNESCO participation- Indigenous rights-based conservation in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: Implementing Target 22 in Latin America and the Caribbean
13:30 - 14:30 pm
Venue: UN Colombia Pavilion
Organized by UNESCO Science Sector - The Boldness of Anticipating the Future: Peace with Nature as a Pillar of Integrated Development on a Territorial Scale
15:00 - 16:00 pm
Venue: UNESCO booth, Blue Zone
Organized by Instituto Espinhaço/UNESCO-EES
- Indigenous and local ocean knowledge for implementation of the GBF via the Ocean Decade – Session 1
9 - 11 am
Venue: UNESCO Booth (by invitation only)
UNESCO Booth (by invitation only)
Organized by UNESCO-IOC - African Indigenous Youth as Guardians of Biocultural Heritage - Intergenerational Indigenous knowledge transmission
11:30 am - 1 pm
Venue: UNESCO booth
Organized by UNESCO
Lunchtime
Venue: Cocora - Subnational and Local Authorities meeting room
Organised by Liaison Group of biodiversity-related Conventions (CBD, Ramsar, IWC, ITPGRFA, IPPC, CMS, CITES, WHC-UNESCO)
1:20 pm
Venue: Business and Industry Organizations - Room 5 E, 5th Floor, Plaza One
Organized by UNDP | UNESCO | UNDP-BIOFIN | UNCDF | Burundi- Ocean Decade - a global framework to generate the knowledge we need for GBF implementation
1 - 3 pm
Workshop by invitation only
Venue: UNESCO booth
Organized by UNESCO-IOC
- High-Level Segment
All day
Venue: TBC
Organized by Liaison Group of biodiversity-related Conventions expected to make a joint statement (CBD, Ramsar, IWC, ITPGRFA, IPPC, CMS, CITES, WHC-UNESCO) - Indigenous and local ocean knowledge for implementation of the GBF via the Ocean Decade – Session 2
8:30 - 10:30 am
Venue: UNESCO Booth (by invitation only)
Organized by UNESCO-IOC - Ocean Decade - A global framework to generate the knowledge we need for GBF implementation - Session 2
11 am - 1 pm
Venue: UNESCO (workshop by invitation only)
Organized by UNESCO Biodiversity Blueprints: Collaborative Strategies for Effective NBSAPs
11 - 12:20 am
Venue: UN Pavilion, Blue Zone
Organized by UNESCOIndigenous and Local Knowledge for Biodiversity: Partnerships to Face for Climate Change Adaptation
3 - 4:30 pm
Venue: UN Pavilion, Blue Zone
Organized by UNESCO
8 am - 7:20 pm
Venue: Subnational and Local Authorities, Plaza One
Organized by UNESCO Science Sector and Government of Colombia
- High Level Segment
All day
Venue: TBC
Organized by UNESCO
11:40 am
Venue: Plaza One
Organized CMAR | Colombia | Ecuador | Costa Rica | Panama- Local Actions for the new Global Biodiversity Framework through UNESCO Biosphere Reserves
3 - 4 pm
Venue: UNESCO booth
Organized by UNESCO Science Sector - Round table: Guardians of the Amazon: Innovative solutions to protect biodiversity
3 - 4:30 pm
Venue: UN Pavilion
Organized by UNESCO Science Sector - Launch of the publication Pathways of Life
4:30 - 6 pm
Venue: UN Pavilion
Organized by UNESCO Science Sector
- Forum ‘Sport and environment, guidelines for a sustainable sport’
Morning
Venue: Green Zone
Organized by TBC