Kunming Declaration

In Context 

• The UN Biodiversity Conference began on October 11, 2021, and will conclude on October 24. 
  • It was originally scheduled to take place from 15-28 October 2020 in Kunming, China but was postponed several times due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

About 

• The declaration, titled ‘Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth’, represents the outcome of the high-level segment of Part One of COP15  (the fifteenth Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity).
• It aims to demonstrate ministers’ political will to address the biodiversity crisis.

About Kunming Declaration

• The Kunming Declaration was adopted by over 100 countries on October 13, 2021, at the first part of the ongoing virtual 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. 
• It calls upon the parties to “mainstream” biodiversity protection in decision-making and recognises the importance of conservation in protecting human health.
• By adopting this, the nations have committed themselves to support the development, adoption and implementation of an effective post-2020 implementation plan, capacity building action plan for the Cartagena Protocol on biosafety.

• Kunming Declaration acknowledges that the aim of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework should be to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. 

• The adoption of the declaration will create momentum for a new global biodiversity pact.
• This declaration is a reflection of the political will of all parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

Source: DTE