Serge Wilmes at COP16 in Cali, Colombia
Two years after the historic adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) was held in Cali, Colombia, from 21 October to 1 November 2024, under the theme "Paz con la naturaleza".
While the KMGBF sets a range of targets for 2030 at global level, COP16 was a key step in preparing for effective implementation at national level. For the European Union and its Member States, the importance of agreeing on a robust monitoring system was a priority, as was the establishment of a multilateral mechanism for digital sequencing of genetic resources.
On site, Minister Serge Wilmes took the opportunity to highlight Luxembourg's international and solidarity-based funding efforts, which, in keeping with the spirit of Rio, envisage greater synergies between the fight against biodiversity loss, land degradation and climate change, and which guarantee the implementation of the KMGBF targets. Luxembourg was one of the first countries to contribute to the new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund and to align its national strategy with the KMGBF targets.
The Minister took part in several events focusing on innovative initiatives funded by the Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, including the Global Landscapes Forum's 7th Investment Case Symposium, which brought together over 300 people on-site and several thousand stakeholders online, including from the private sector, to mobilise sources of funding for biodiversity, as well as the "Resilient Landscapes Luxembourg" initiative, which is helping to develop nature-based solutions projects aimed at unlocking private investment.
"Och wann d'Resultat net dat ass wat ee sech erhofft huet, huet een op der Biodiversitéits COP16 eng ganz aner Dynamik gespuert. Dëst well et virun 2 Joer zu engem historeschen Accord komm ass, deen e weltwäite Kader gesat huet. Mir mussen eis Ziler gi fir de Biodiversitéitsverloscht ze stoppen. An all Schratt, dee mir no vir ginn, ass e Schratt an déi richteg Richtung. Mir dierfen net opginn a mussen ëmmer weider dru schaffe fir dohinner ze kommen." - Serge Wilmes, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity
The Minister also held discussions with the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Astrid Schomaker, the CEO of the Global Environment Facility, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, representatives of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, and organised youth.
Press release from the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity