The Ministry of Environment (Minister Kim Wansup) announced that the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) will be held from October 22 (local time: October 21, 10 p.m.) to November 2 (local time: November 1) in Cali, Colombia.

The CBD COP16 will be attended by 196 parties, along with international organizations, experts, and various stakeholders. From Korea, a government delegation led by Cho Hong-sik, Ambassador and Deputy Minister for Climate Change from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will participate. The delegation will include officials from relevant ministries* and experts.

* Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Korea Forest Service, etc.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a UN environmental agreement adopted in 1992, aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The biennial Conference of the Parties (COP) involves adopting decision doc.uments for the implementation of the convention and hosting high-level meetings, all of which play a role in setting and driving the international goals for biodiversity conservation.

The CBD COP16 is the first meeting to be held since the adoption of the ‘Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).’ During the conference, discussions will focus on reviewing the implementation status of the GBF by various governments. Key topics will include the ‘GBF Monitoring Framework,’ ‘Resource Mobilization,’ and ‘Digital Sequence Information (DSI)*,’ among other related issues.

* Digital information, such as DNA sequences, that does not fall under the Nagoya Protocol (which typically applies to tangible genetic resources)

At the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (held in Montreal in December 2022), governments decided to submit revised National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) aligned with the GBF by the COP16. Therefore, at this meeting, there will be an analysis of the submitted NBSAPs, which will serve as the basis for reviewing each party’s progress in implementing the GBF.

Last December, South Korea established its 5th National Biodiversity Strategy, incorporating the elements of the Kunming-Montreal GBF. In August of this year, the English version of this 5th National Biodiversity Strategy was submitted to the Secretariat of the CBD.

With regard to the GBF Monitoring Framework, discussions are expected to focus on evaluation indicators for each target aimed at reviewing the implementation of the GBF. A key issue likely to emerge is how much the framework should consider the specific conditions of each individual country to ensure its effectiveness.

Regarding “Resource Mobilization,” discussions will focus on strategies to mobilize resources to close biodiversity resource gaps, including the potential establishment of dedicated financial mechanisms for biodiversity. As for “Digital Sequence Information,” the conference will delve into detailed elements such as the parties involved in benefit-sharing and the methods of sharing those benefits. This follows the decision made at the COP15 to establish a multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism.

Colombia, as the host country, will hold a high-level meeting from the morning of October 29 to the afternoon of October 30 local time. The meeting aims to strengthen and support the implementation of the GBF.

At the high-level meeting, the government delegation plans to express South Korea’s commitment to implementing the GBF by introducing the formulation and implementation status of the 5th National Biodiversity Strategy. Cho Hong-sik, Ambassador and Deputy Minister for Climate Change from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will participate as the head representative.

In addition, the government delegation plans to engage in active communication with key countries such as the European Union (EU) and Australia, as well as international organizations, to share experiences in biodiversity policy and explore future avenues for cooperation.

Kim Tae-oh, Director General of the Nature Conservation Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, stated, “Implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is the most effective means to prevent global biodiversity loss.” He added, “As a member of the international community, Korea plans to pursue policies based on the 5th National Biodiversity Strategy to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com