IUCN Digest – 22 December 2022
Welcome to the bi-weekly digest for IUCN Members and IUCN Commission members.
Message from the Director General
Dear Members, What an end to the year. The UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP 15) has just ended and the Kunming-Montreal Global biodiversity framework, previously known as the “Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework”, has finally been adopted. IUCN, which was deeply engaged in the years leading up to this moment, welcomes the agreement as an important step in the right direction – even though it does not go as far as we would have liked.
However, we applaud the commitment to conserve at least 30% of terrestrial, inland water and coastal and marine areas, and especially areas of importance for biodiversity. It is good that the rights and territories of Indigenous peoples and local communities are respected in this. We also applaud the inclusion of distinct components for each of the three levels of biodiversity – ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity – in Goal A of the framework. We are happy that compromise was reached on contentious issues such as the reduction of harmful subsidies by at least US$ 500 billion and an increase in biodiversity finance by at least US$ 200 billion by 2030.
I invite you to read our full position on the conclusion of the CBD COP15. And as attention turns to the next step of turning the Kunming-Montreal Global biodiversity framework into reality, please know that IUCN can achieve this with you, dear Members. Indeed, it was wonderful for me to see so many of you in Montreal, especially at the Members reception co-hosted by the Canadian Committee for IUCN. 200 people carved time out of their busy COP schedule to strengthen the relationships between the Secretariat and Membership, and the energy and the passion I felt that night was inspiring.
As we reach the end of 2022, please allow me to wish you a joyful time with your loved ones. I am fully confident that 2023 will allow us to climb new heights together.
News
Appreciation of Gren Lucas for IUCN
Indigenous Women’s Insights – Stewarding the Earth
Sports organisations commit to safeguard nature under new framework
IUCN statement to UN Biodiversity Conference 2022
The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and Environmental Human Rights Defenders
Human activity devastating marine species from mammals to corals – IUCN Red List
Events
5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) 3-9 February 2023
UNESCO 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, postponed until further notice. The publication of official documents, including IUCN recommendations, will be established by UNESCO in accordance with the Rules of Procedure at the appropriate time.
Resolutions and Recommendations
The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity has concluded on 19 December and adopted, on early Monday morning, the much-awaited Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This agreement marks an important step in the right direction, even if it does not go as far as IUCN would have liked. Throughout the negotiations, IUCN’s position was guided by the 22 Marseille Resolutions that relate to this framework. A subset of these Resolutions is briefly summarized below:
Resolution 7. 027 – Seascapes working for biodiversity conservation encourages states to support targets and strategies for ocean conservation in the CBD Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework that: a) recognise fishing as a substantial impact on marine biodiversity, affecting large numbers of people and facing important governance challenges, while also emphasising its contribution to supporting livelihoods, food security, nutrition and heritage; and b) seek innovative scientific, technological and governance approaches to balance trade-offs among fishing and other uses of the marine environment, and to benefit biodiversity conservation.
Resolution 7.101 – Addressing human-wildlife conflict: fostering a safe and beneficial coexistence of people and wildlife calls on the global community to recognise Human Wildlife Conflict (HWC) as a rapidly growing cause of wildlife declines and population disruptions in freshwater, marine and terrestrial environs, as well as a threat to sustainable development, and food security, among other things. It also urges governments to address HWC in the framework of relevant fora, including the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and calls on IUCN to support explicit recognition of HWC as a conservation and livelihood concern in this framework.
Resolution 7.125 – Setting area-based conservation targets based on evidence of what nature and people need to thrive calls on IUCN Members and invites CBD Parties to include a global target in the Post-2020 GBF that ensures that at least 30% of terrestrial areas and inland waters and of coastal and marine areas, are effectively and equitably governed, protected and conserved with a focus on sites of particular importance for biodiversity, in well-connected systems of protected areas and other OECMs by 2030
Resolutions and Recommendations constitute a means through which IUCN Members set the organization’s general policy, influence conservation priorities and find support for moving commitments into action. The whole Union is responsible for their implementation, and we invite you to submit your activity reports on theResolutions and Recommendations Platform to help us monitor their implementation. Everything you need to know to submit an activity report is in thisUser Guide. Many thanks for your contributions!
IUCN@ the Conference of the Parties
IUCN Position Paper for CITES COP19
IUCN Webinar Series – The last sprint to COP 15
Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
IUCN’s work on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework
First draft of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
Post-2020 global biodiversity framework (issues brief)
BIODEV2030 – Inspiring national action
At COP15 in Montreal, IUCN launched a new publication “Mainstreaming biodiversity into priority economic sectors: Lessons from the assessment of main threats in 16 BIODEV2030 pilot countries”.
Find out more about this important knowledge product here: https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2022.12.en
UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
Science-based ecosystem restoration for the 2020s and beyond (publication)
UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration website
Opportunities
Call for solutions on Wildlife Health and Zoonotic Disease Risk Reduction
A Challenge to Reimagine Conservation in 2022
Online Learning and Webinars
Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence – Learning in Practice Webinar Series:
Engagement and ethics of working with communities. Recording.
Community-led management of wildlife impacts. Recording.
Incentives and financial instruments for coexistence. Recording.
Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility (BNCFF) – Investing for Ocean Impact, Podcast
Webinar: NASA’s Applied – Evaluating Ecosystem Services with Remote Sensing – online series
GBV-ENV Center webinar: Engaging men and boys to address GBV in coastal biodiversity management
2022 RedList trainer course – Become a certified RedList trainer
IUCN SSC CPSG training opportunities (Conservation Planning Specialist Group – Species Survival Commission)
Register for forthcoming Species Conservation Planning training from CPSG:
Ex situ Conservation Assessment online course (Self-paced, start date 16 January 2023)
Facilitating Species Conservation Planning Workshops online course (20 February- 7 April 2023)
Wildlife Disease Risk Analysis online course (6 March-28 April 2023)
Newsletters
The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) – Bulletin October 2022
IUCN Asia’s Quarterly Newsletter
Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) – Newsletter September 2022
Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) – Newsletter December 2022
Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) – Newsletter December 2022
Australian Committee for IUCN Spring 2022 Newsletter
IUCN SSC Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence – Newsletter, December 2022
Other
Guidelines for using A global standard for the identification of Key Biodiversity Areas: version 1.2
Enhancing the integration of governance in forest landscape restoration opportunities assessments
Guidance and toolkit for impact assessments in a World Heritage context
IUCN Blog – Crossroads – Latest blog – The private sector can (and should) lead the way on nature-positive
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