The roller coaster of COP16 negotiations

At COP16 in Cali, Colombia, I closely followed the negotiations and advocacy efforts, focusing on resource mobilization, climate change, and monitoring the Global Biodiversity Framework. The first week of negotiations was marked by slow progress as countries struggled to build consensus on several key issues. By the second week, the intensity increased, with additional sessions held in the morning, afternoon, and evening to finalize agreements and reduce the number of unresolved proposals still in brackets.

Two of the most contentious agenda items were the multilateral mechanism for fair and equitable benefit-sharing from Digital Sequence Information (DSI) on genetic resources, and resource mobilization, particularly the proposal from developing countries for a new fund under COP governance. Despite extensive discussions, finding consensus was challenging, as developed and developing nations held differing views on the need for a dedicated fund. While this COP achieved a significant milestone with the creation of the “Cali Fund” for DSI benefit-sharing; the broader resource mobilization remains unresolved, especially with the $20 billion target for biodiversity funding by 2025 still unmet.

In the area of biodiversity and climate change, significant progress was made in aligning biodiversity goals with climate resilience. The adopted decision emphasizes integrating nature-based solutions within biodiversity frameworks, fostering synergy between climate and biodiversity strategies.

Another part of my engagement involved coordinating support for the Initiative on Food and Nutrition and securing country backing for the proposal during its first reading in the Working Group negotiations. Our aim was to ensure that this initiative remained in the decision text, with several countries expressing their support. Unfortunately, due to an intense 11-hour final plenary that extended into Saturday morning, the session ended without a quorum as numerous delegates had already departed. As a result, this decision and others—including our initiative—was postponed, likely until the next intersessional meeting.

COP16 reinforced the importance of patience, resilience, and sustained engagement in the negotiation process. While it can be slow and challenging, negotiations are at the heart of the COP’s mission, bringing diverse voices together to shape a collective path forward. Each round of discussions offers valuable insights and opportunities for strategic partnerships, reminding us that lasting progress in global biodiversity efforts requires both persistence and collaboration.