The United Nations has appointed Astrid Schomaker from Germany as the new Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Announced by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday, Schomaker will lead the Secretariat in implementing the ambitious Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in December 2022.
Under her leadership, the CBD aims to achieve its four primary goals: protect and restore ecosystems, prosper with nature, share benefits fairly, and invest and collaborate for biodiversity. These objectives will guide Schomaker's efforts to translate the Biodiversity Plan into actionable strategies across all levels.
The 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COP 16) is scheduled to take place from October 21 to November 1, 2024, in Cali, Colombia. By then, member countries are expected to submit revised National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) that align with the Biodiversity Plan.
A key focus leading up to COP 16 is addressing the biodiversity finance gap. The CBD has set a milestone to increase biodiversity-related international financial resources from developed countries to at least 20 billion U.S. dollars annually by 2025. Achieving the targets of the Biodiversity Plan by 2030 will require substantial financial investments beyond those currently mobilized through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the newly established Global Biodiversity Framework Fund.
David Cooper, who has served as the Acting Executive Secretary since February 2023, will continue in this role until Schomaker officially takes over her responsibilities.
Established in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and effective since December 1993, the CBD is a cornerstone international treaty dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity, boasting near-universal participation with 196 parties.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
