New Toolbox for Biodiversity was presented at COP16 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Cali, Colombia 2024

The new biblioguide titled “Toolbox for the Integration of Biodiversity in Development Planning in Latin America and the Caribbean” is designed to facilitate the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The official launch took place during the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16)took place from October 21 to November 1, 2024 in Cali, Colombia.

A practical resource for action for biodiversity

“The toolkit is a dynamic resource that offers a wide range of knowledge products and empowers decision makers to integrate biodiversity into public policies,” says Marcia Isabel Tambutti Allende, Senior Research Assistant, Natural Resources Division. , ECLAC.

The toolbox is aimed at public and private actors involved in political decision-making and strategic planning, both at the national and local levels. It is structured in five thematic sections corresponding to the themes of goals, goal 1 of spatial planning, goal 8 of climate change, goal 10 of agriculture, fisheries and forestry, goal 14 integration of biodiversity, goal 18 of harmful and positive incentives of the framework. Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity World Cup. Each section focuses on methodological resources, guides and documents, links to information repositories and databases and cases of good practices that come from the region to guarantee the integration of biodiversity in all sectors and promote effective planning. These materials provide perspectives from experts in various fields, addressing both the challenges and solutions for incorporating biodiversity into sectoral planning.

Collaboration for Biodiversity

Developed jointly between the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the “EU Support for the Post 2020 Global Biological Diversity Framework” project, executed by Expertise France; This toolbox represents a collective effort supported by experts from international organizations, academia, and civil society. With contributions from ECLAC’s Hernán Santa Cruz Library, this initiative highlights our commitment to providing a comprehensive resource that supports communities and promotes sustainable development throughout the region.

“I see a role of enormous importance for the ECLAC toolbox to allow actors to design their national and subnational policies, based on successful experiences and a regional dimension, to support more positive systems with biodiversity” Thierry Dudermel, Leader of the european union biodiversity project.

“The Latin American and Caribbean region has the opportunity to transform its development model based on new consumption and production practices in key sectors. To advance how to do this, the cepam toolbox supports the process, recognizing the narrow link between biodiversity, climate change and development.” Angela Penagos, Director of the ECLAC Office in Bogotá.

ECLAC participation in COP16

ECLAC was a key participant in discussions on biodiversity protection policies in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Executive Secretary of ECLAC, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, played a prominent role in several high-level events, highlighting the importance of biological diversity in the sustainable development of the region.

At COP16, ECLAC addressed critical issues linking biodiversity conservation with sustainable development. He highlighted the economic valuation of biodiversity and the bioeconomy as pathways to sustainable growth, along with innovative financing mechanisms such as tax incentives and climate finance for biodiversity conservation efforts. ECLAC also highlighted the interconnection between biodiversity and poverty, presenting proposals for the inclusion of local and indigenous communities and environmental defenders. It also highlighted the role of biodiversity in improving climate resilience and adaptation, while promoting the integration of biodiversity into public policies through innovative solutions aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Read more about ECLAC’s participation in COP16 here.