AWF Supports Kunming Declaration at UN Biodiversity Conference

The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) welcomes and commends the adoption of the Kunming Declaration at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 15) held in Kunming, China from October 11-15, 2021, closing the first phase of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference. As world leaders affirmed their political commitments towards the reversal of biodiversity loss, they acknowledged the role nature plays in meeting people’s needs.

AWF applauds China for its new appointment to the presidency of the CBD COP 15 and is set to lead the 196 members signed onto the convention for the next two years. With this appointment comes a responsibility by China to show global leadership on biodiversity conservation, beginning with the country’s role this week in Kunming with a significant commitment to biodiversity financing. The host country has officially established the Kunming Biodiversity Fund and has pledged USD $230 million targeted at developing nations.

“This commitment, alongside those made by other stakeholders, is the start of a resource mobilization drive necessary to meet the annual global biodiversity financing gap that is well over USD $500 billion. Resource mobilization was the Achilles’ heel of the Aichi Targets 10 years ago and it would be unfortunate to see the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework fail on the same account,” AWF CEO Kaddu Sebunya reflects.

AWF also supports the determination within the Kunming Declaration to halt harmful subsidies and incentives and directly urges governments, financial institutions, and businesses to do more to curb biodiversity loss.

In addition, AWF applauds the Chinese government’s vision for an ecological civilization that envisions a sustainable ecological future where nature thrives alongside the well-being of people. We recognize commitments made by member states to mainstream and prioritize biodiversity within their national development plans.

AWF acknowledges that modern Africa’s development is hinged on its people and its natural asset base. We, therefore, call upon all parties to continue negotiating in the spirit of the Kunming Declaration focused on obtaining more substantial outcomes at Phase 2 of the CBD COP 15 meeting scheduled to take place mid-2022 in Kunming, China.