What’s at stake for Latin America and the Caribbean at COP16 in Cali?

At a time when the planet faces the most severe environmental challenges in its history, caused by the existing economic model, COP16 on Biodiversity will be the ideal stage for Latin America and the Caribbean to reaffirm their role as a region of solutions and raise their voice in the global debate on the accelerated loss of biodiversity. The region must advocate for a vision that considers people and communities whose survival is closely tied to unique and endangered ecosystems. The measures taken to preserve the region's biodiversity have the potential to set a global example, advancing towards a harmonious and respectful coexistence with nature.

All countries in the region have ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a 1993 agreement aimed at conserving biodiversity, sustainably using its components, and ensuring fairness in the use of genetic resources. However, few have presented action plans to advance biodiversity protection by 2030. These plans are among the historic milestones achieved at COP15 in Kunming-Montreal in 2022, where 23 key targets were set to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and four goals to achieve positive biodiversity by 2050. In Cali, progress on these action plans will be reviewed, and two critical issues for the world’s most megadiverse region will be addressed: establishing a fair and equitable framework for access to the benefits of genetic resources and creating a new framework for tracking the committed mobilization of 200 billion dollars by 2030.

COP16 is also expected to bring together initiatives that conserve and sustainably use biodiversity through innovative financial instruments, such as debt-for-nature swaps, green bonds, and biodiversity certificates. Additionally, there will be active participation from the private sector and philanthropy, which are increasingly focused on ecosystems and the risks posed by biodiversity loss. Special attention will be given to the key role played by local communities and indigenous peoples, promoting ways to incorporate ancestral knowledge into climate, sustainability, and biodiversity agendas. On all these fronts, the voice of Latin America and the Caribbean will be crucial.

The region's leading role is primarily due to its rich biodiversity: it hosts 60% of the world’s biodiversity, and six of its countries (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela) are classified as megadiverse. These figures also make biodiversity a factor for regional integration, with ecosystem connectivity being key to conservation, and a crucial tool for positioning Latin America and the Caribbean in global sustainability discussions.

The strategic ecosystems of Latin America and the Caribbean are essential for maintaining the planet’s environmental balance. They span across the region, are interconnected with each other and with other hemispheric ecosystems, and provide key services that ensure the livelihoods of local populations. Among these ecosystems are the páramos, Patagonia, the Caribbean, the Tumbes forests in the Chocó and Magdalena, the Atlantic Forest, the Mesoamerican biological corridor, the mangroves, the Amazon, the Humboldt Current, the Gran Chaco, and Pantanal, among others. Thus, COP16 will be a historic moment to introduce new narratives into the global debate on biodiversity.

CAF at COP16

With the Latin America and Caribbean Pavilion, CAF will bring the region’s voice to COP16 to highlight its leading role in preserving global biodiversity. CAF aims to generate discussions on the value of strategic ecosystems, the importance of the blue economy, the role of science and youth, the need for innovative financing systems, and the communities and territories on the front lines of biodiversity preservation.

CAF will address biodiversity loss and the use of financial resources with a fresh perspective, placing communities that have direct relationships with the natural environment at the center of decision-making. These communities are best positioned to design actions that lead to ecosystem regeneration in ways that are consistent with the social and environmental context.