28 November – 17 December

The Global Forest Coalition (GFC) will participate in the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP13) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which will be held in Cancùn from 4-17 December 2016.

Some of the main issues to be discussed at COP13 concern a review of progress, strategic actions and financing to enhance implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Targets; Article 8(j) and related provisions; and marine and coastal biodiversity, among others. The official theme of “mainstreaming biodiversity for well-being” shines a spotlight on CBD Parties’ mandate to integrate the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the key sectors of agriculture, fisheries, forestry and tourism.

GFC’s main focus at COP13 is to promote the role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in mainstreaming biodiversity and in implementing the Strategic Plan through collective action, including through a gender lens. Towards this aim, GFC is facilitating the participation of indigenous and community leaders, including women, who are involved in assessing their community conservation efforts and identifying self-determined forms of support through the Community Conservation Resilience Initiative. At the same time, GFC is actively collaborating with the Gender Program of the CBD Secretariat and co-leading the Women’s Caucus, which will meet on a daily basis throughout the negotiations.

GFC is also concerned about the growing emphasis in the CBD on private sector engagement and market-based approaches, which arguably commodify nature and further perpetuate the root causes of biodiversity loss, thus deepening inequalities. In order to mainstream biodiversity and achieve the Strategic Plan, perverse incentives for unsustainable practices in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors must be phased out, eliminated and/or redirected toward initiatives that actually support conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, including those of indigenous peoples and communities and that take into consideration a gender perspective to prevent deepening gender gaps. For example, the heavily subsidised livestock and feedstock industry is the main cause of forest and biodiversity loss in Latin America, the continent with the highest rates of deforestation. These issues are considered in GFC’s new global report on unsustainable livestock – with case studies from around the world – which will be launched on 5 December.

 

In addition to actively participating in COP13 negotiations, our key activities in Cancun include:

1. Women2030 workshop – Women2030 Latin American Regional Meeting and training-of-trainers, 29 November – 1 December 2016 at the Holiday Inn Cancun Arenas (Blvd. Kukulcan KM 2.5, Zona Hotelera, 77500 Cancún, Mexico)
2. Press Conference – “Women’s group awards champions of gender mainstreaming in the CBD”, Monday 5 December 2016, 11:00-11:25 am local time
3. Press Conference – “New Report on livestock highlighting consequences for Aichi Targets and policy recommendations from the ground”, Monday 5 December 2016, 14:00-14:25 local time
4. Side Event – “Mainstreaming gender and community conservation in the CBD”, Thursday 8 December 2016, 18:15 local time in Contact Group 4, Universal Building, Main Floor
5. Side Event – “Are we improving and supporting sustainable methods of livestock and agriculture to achieve Aichi Target 7?”, Tuesday 6 December 2016, 18:15 local time in NGOs Group Meeting Room, Sunrise Building, Second Floor

See the list of our spokespersons available for interviews here. (Español)

 

Our media contact in Cancun:

Ashlesha Khadse, Media Officer
Whatsapp, imsg: +91 8600839193, Mexico number: +52 998 4111 965
ashlesha@globalforestcoalition.org
Skype: Ashlesha.khadse
(English, Spanish and Hindi)

 

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