By Vishal GulatiMontreal, Dec 18 (IANS) Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius, on behalf of the EU, has joined a high ambition ‘Accelerator Partnership’ to support the future implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) under negotiations at COP15 in Canada’s Montreal.
In addition, the EU and many other partners are also committing to create a Global Knowledge Support Service for Biodiversity.
These two complementary initiatives will be instrumental in addressing key roadblocks to the implementation of future global biodiversity objectives by developing countries.
The Accelerator Partnership will help increase finance flows to biodiversity in developing countries, while the Knowledge Support Service will make available data and knowledge to help countries monitor progress in fulfilling biodiversity objectives.
As negotiations on a new global biodiversity framework are in progress, participating in these initiatives is part of the EU’s contribution to a successful COP15. They are a response to practical needs of developing countries that require capacities and support to implement an ambitious agreement for nature.
The Accelerator Partnership will offer matchmaking between funding requests and biodiversity solutions, as well as enable the sharing of knowledge and best practices.
It will help implement the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans and the National Biodiversity Finance Plans which are key national tools of implementation of the global biodiversity objectives.
Joining the partnership, initiated by Colombia, is yet another clear sign that the EU stands ready to support its partner countries in implementing the future agreement and its ambitious goals and targets without delays.
The purpose of the Global Knowledge Support Service will be to help monitor progress so countries deliver on the Global Biodiversity Framework’s goals and targets. At COP15 on Friday, Commissioner SinkeviAius invited parties and non-state actors to express interest in establishing this service together with the EU.
The Global Knowledge Support Service for Biodiversity will support national efforts to monitor and report on progress, by enhancing the access to and use of data and knowledge at national, regional and global level.
Its scope is currently under extensive consultation with countries, to best respond to knowledge and capacity needs identified during the COP15 conference. It is expected that it will operate in all parts of the world, bringing together national and regional capacities and knowledge.
The Accelerator Partnership, together with the Global Knowledge Support Service for Biodiversity, will help close the resources and knowledge gap, especially in developing countries, which is essential to increase capacity and scale up action on biodiversity.
The new initiatives will complement existing EU supported initiatives such as BIOFIN which help countries to mobilise more finance for nature. The EU is providing financial and technical support to a wide range of knowledge and capacity building programmes, like Biopama for better management and governance of protected areas, the Biodiversity Information for Development programme for effective use of biodiversity data in research and policy, and the upcoming Centres of Excellence for Biodiversity in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“The global biodiversity framework will deliver only if there is a collective effort for its implementation. We cannot fail again. And we cannot leave anybody behind. This is why we need mechanisms to strengthen capacities and step up action. The Accelerator Partnership, together with the Global Knowledge Support Service for Biodiversity, will help close the resources and knowledge gap, especially in developing countries,” Sinkevicius, EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, said.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
–IANS
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