On October 23rd, at the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, the FAO ACP-MEAs 3 programme held a side event to unveil the regional biodiversity strategies of the African Union (AU), East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Pacific. These strategies aim to guide updates to National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) across these regions, in alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and other Multilateral Environmental Agreements, such as the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

In his opening remarks, Mr Kaveh Zahedi, Director of the FAO’s Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, underscored the importance of an inclusive, whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach to developing effective regional and national biodiversity plans. He emphasized, “It is essential to transform our agri-food systems to be more efficient, resilient and sustainable. FAO is committed to supporting the KMGBF through biodiversity mainstreaming across agricultural sectors.”

Ms Leah Wanambwa, Senior Biodiversity Policy Officer at the AU, highlighted the synergies between the AU's biodiversity strategy and those of its regional economic communities, including the SADC and the EAC. "Africa is poised to implement the KMGBF, I encourage all our stakeholders to join us in supporting the continent's biodiversity aspirations.” she asserted. Her remarks underscored the commitment of African nations to collaborative action for sustainable environmental management.

A view from the different stakeholders

Ms Patience Gandiwa, Chair of the SADC and representative of Zimbabwe, emphasized the importance of meeting the specific needs of member countries when developing the SADC biodiversity strategy. "Our priorities focus on reducing threats to biodiversity loss while fostering harmony with nature, understanding that each country has specific agricultural systems" she stated.

Mr Paul Lado Demetry from South Sudan, representing the EAC, outlined the EAC's regional biodiversity strategy. He concluded, "Our strategic actions over the next decade must ensure that we protect our rich biodiversity while increasing agricultural productivity."

Mr Shane Tutua from the Solomon Islands introduced the Pacific Action Plan on Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture (2024-2030), developed through a consultative process among Pacific Islands. He noted that this plan prioritizes sustainable biodiversity management across key sectors such as agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, will serve as a guideline for revising NBSAPs.

Ms Amanda Wheatley, Biodiversity Advisor at the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), presented the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation (PIRT) and its six working groups. "PIRT offers strategic guidance for environmental conservation in our region and is vital for implementing the Pacific Action Plan", she explained.

A call to action

Participants recognized the significant progress made by both Africa and the Pacific in developing these regional biodiversity strategies and called for immediate action to realize their potential.

Ms Aurélie Godefroy, representing the European Union, thanked FAO for facilitating the development of these biodiversity strategies and reiterated that their implementation is crucial to meeting the objectives of the KMGBF.

Closing the side event, Ms Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, praised the collaborative energy present at the gathering. "It is heartwarming to witness the integration of efforts from both the environmental and agricultural sectors across regions." she said. Ms Schomaker highlighted how this joint participation represents a promising step towards effective south to south cooperation and enhanced biodiversity mainstreaming into national policies and practices.

This FAO ACP MEAs 3 side event emphasized the collective commitment of Africa and the Pacific to implement plans and strategies to address their unique environmental and socio-economic challenges and needs. Engaging multiple stakeholders from local communities to national governments is required to ensure broad-based participation and effective action. The urgency for timely implementation and resource mobilization is key to achieve the ambitious biodiversity targets.