The 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) opened on 11 October 2021 in Kunming, China. COP15 is being held concurrently with the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CP-MOP 10), and 4th meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (NP-MOP 4). The meetings are being held in two Phases, a largely virtual Phase one from 11 to 15 October (including a High-Level Segment from 12 to 13 October) and an in-person Phase two meeting in Kunming, from 25 April to 8 May 2022.

The theme for COP15 is “Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth”. The opening ceremony was chaired by HE Huang Runqiu, Minister of Ecology and Environment of China. It was physically attended by some Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and observers from around the world along with officials of the Secretariat of the CBD and also virtually by many other Parties and observers who could not be present in-person due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mrs. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, current Executive Secretary of the CBD congratulated the President of the past COP, Dr Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment of Egypt, and her team for their strong dedication together with the government of China and the CBD Bureau to making COP15 possible despite the challenges of our time. Mrs. Mrema also buttressed the importance of attaining the 2050 vision of living in harmony by reversing biodiversity loss and and putting biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030, at the latest.

Inger Andersen, the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, in her remarks noted that the world can no longer rely on biodiversity to operate like clockwork and deliver what humanity needs to survive and she reiterated the need for clear and tangible actions to deliver the post-2020 global biodiversity framework that places nature at the heart of decision-making.

During this session, representatives of each region were given the floor to make statements on behalf of their regions. The current Chair of the African Union, the Democratic Republic of Congo, read a statement on behalf of the African region.

In his statement, Mr. Mike Ipanga congratulated the Chinese Minister of Ecology and Environment upon his election as President of the COP15 and reassured him of the commitment of the African continent to support him in his noble mission to help find the best solutions to biodiversity protection. “Africa is home to a rich biodiversity that acts as buffer to climate change. Nevertheless, the region is facing challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change and subsequent impacts”, he said. He further stated that humanity is at a crossroad of saving the planet, a burning house, and urgent actions ought to be taken for present and future generations. “The post-2020 global biodiversity framework is an opportunity for us to reaffirm our collective commitment to reverse biodiversity loss and to develop a holistic collaborative and coordinated approach to addressing not only biodiversity loss but also climate change. A post-2020 global biodiversity framework, which is more robust, ambitious, realistic and achievable with the means and resources necessary for implementation should be our ultimate goal”, he added.

The African Group of Negotiators, supported by the secretariat coordinated by the African Union Commission and AUDA-NEPAD, are working hand in hand to effectively contribute to the global discussions, negotiations, and decisions in securing Africa’s interests on matters of biodiversity, biosafety, and access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources.