So now that we know all of the major parts and moving pieces of the CBD and COP, it's time to tackle what's happening this year at COP13.  The overarching theme this year is a big one: Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Well-Being- and that doesn't mean explaining to your grandparents what biodiversity is.  The goal of mainstreaming biodiversity, is to make sure it is included, and understood, across a breadth of different sectors, with a focus on agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and tourism.  Now, believe me, there's a lot going on (as you can see here), but some of the main things that are happening include a review on where we are with the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, a review of the progress towards achieving Aichi target 16, how to better protect marine and coastal biodiversity, and how to deal with invasives (and that's just the first day).  I can't personally speak to your interests and persuasions, but here's another breakdown of what the next two weeks may look like, for you to pick and choose to learn more about at your leisure.  What's important to remember, as you peruse through all of these links, is that this conference is all about mainstreaming biodiversity, and that means looking at what's worked, what hasn't worked, and where we can go from here.

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Thomas McAuley-Biasi

​So we've gone over what the CBD is, we know how it operates, and we know the main part of their decade long plan.  What we haven't talked about yet, however, are any of its protocols.  Way back on day 2, I mentioned that at COPs the CBD works on creating and reinforcing protocols, so today I'm going to focus on its major one: The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity (it's a bit of a mouthful).  The protocol was adopted on October 29th, 2010, but only came into effect on October 12, 2014, and provides a legal framework for enforcing the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources.  It essentially covers how countries are allowed to use and share natural materials- something hugely important if we're trying to protect and sustain biodiversity.  Currently, Canada has not signed on to the protocol.  For more information, go here!

Instead of learning another acronym today, we are going to answer the question – what are the Aichi Targets? In 2010, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. Countries agreed to the Strategic Plan because of the urgent need for action in support of biodiversity. It includes 20 ambitious but achievable targets, known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and fall under five strategic goals:

Strategic Goal A: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society

Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use

Strategic Goal C: Improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity

Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services

Strategic Goal E: Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building

The Strategic Plan and Aichi Targets act as a flexible framework for governments to establish national and regional targets, so that countries can move from words to actions, and from actions to measurable results. Establishing and working towards these targets is a key component in fulfilling the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity.  Want to learn more? Click here to see all 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

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​Similarly to the SBSTTA, the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) is another permanent subsidiary body- second of two- and was formed at COP12 in 2014, out of the Ad-Hoc Open-Ended Working Group on the Review of the Implementation.  The SBI works on providing advice on how the implementation of the CBD can be enhanced, with a focus on its protocols and the 2011-2020 strategic plan.  Simply put, their focus is on how the goals of the CBD are being implemented, and how they can be better achieved.  Since the SBI is a newer permanent subsidiary body, they have only had one meeting thus far, in May of 2016, and as such, COP13 will be the first time they officially provide advice.

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​Thomas McAuley-Biasi

​You guessed it, we have another acronym for you to learn! The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, kind of a mouth full so let’s just use SBSTTA (sibsta?). SBSTTA is an intergovernmental advisory body. This body supports the implementation of the work of the COP. Members include government representatives from various fields of expertise. The body is responsible for providing assessments of the status of biological diversity and the measures taken in accordance with the Convention. They are also responsible for responding to questions from the COP. They have met 18 times since 1995 and have produced almost 200 recommendations to the COP! Recommendations are reviewed by the COP, those that are fully endorsed become decisions of the COP. Other recommendations may be partially endorsed or modified and then accepted by the COP. 

For more information on SBSTTA take a look at the CBD website!

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Yesterday, I answered the question: What's the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)? Now that we're all on the same page, it's time to focus on yet another acronym. What is a Conference of the Parties (COP)? Based on the first word, it’s clearly a conference, but the explanation doesn’t end there. COP is the highest decision making body of the CBD. A COP has occurred every other year since 1996. At COP, all member states come together to negotiate and adopt decisions and protocols. While both are legal documents, protocols are legally binding and decisions only have some legal force. It is important that countries stick to their commitments; decisions set the tone for a country and while not binding, they can be powerful. Over the course of a COP, member states negotiate and develop decisions and/or protocols over a two-week period. The result of negotiations, and the COP itself, is the production of final documents on decisions and protocols.

For more information and resources about COP:
Check out the Convention on Biological Diversity website
Take a look at this visual representation produced by Earth in Brackets

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Thomas McAuley-Biasi

​We've all heard about the Convention on Biological Biodiversity (the CBD), and it sounds super fancy, but what is it really?  I could tell you that it was born out of the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, and officially came into being in 1993.  I could tell you that it's building blocks were starting to be put into place in 1987- maybe even further back in 1972.  At the end of the day however, to understand what the CBD is, all you need is one word: Treaty.  The CBD is an international UN treaty tasked with creating national strategies that conserve biodiversity, promote the sustainable use of biodiversity, and share, in a fair and equitable way, the benefits that arise from genetic resources.  Like I said though, it's a treaty- the CBD is an international treaty concerned with biological diversity.

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Thomas McAuley-Biasi