Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Adrian Forde, led the Barbados delegation in the recently concluded high-level segment of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal, Canada.
In delivering his ministerial statement, Minister Forde spoke about the revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan recently laid in Parliament.
He also informed the gathering that Barbados was committed to the finalisation and subsequent implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Mr. Forde also urged parties to ensure that the means for implementing the framework at all levels be given deep and thoughtful consideration.
He further urged them to take into account the special circumstances of small island developing states and their role in global biodiversity conservation, and Barbados’ commitment to the 30×30 target.
During his address, the Minister also highlighted the need for resource mobilisation and capacity building to achieve these targets. “The world began with biodiversity and will end abruptly and painfully so without it,” Mr. Forde proffered.
COP is the governing body of the Convention on Biological Diversity established under Article 23. Its key function is to keep under review, the implementation of the Convention and to steer its development.
Other important functions of the COP include the adoption of the budget, the consideration of national reports, the adoption of protocols or annexes, and the development of guidance to the financial mechanism.
The COP is held bi-annually and one of its major outputs is the finalisation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.