Good morning, everyone. I would like to start by expressing my deepest gratitude and recognition to the Minister of Ecology and Environment of China. Let’s give him a big round of applause for his six-year mandate, during which he led this process with wisdom. Thanks to his efforts, we were able to approve the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Without a doubt, it was not an easy task, but it was a very important step that has allowed us to see the potential for restoring and preserving nature.
Distinguished delegates, I want to thank you for placing your trust in Colombia to take on the responsibility of hosting and presiding over this important meeting. It is a deep honor for me to speak on behalf of the Government of Colombia as President of this COP16, the People’s COP.
The negotiations that culminated in the approval of the Kunming-Montreal Framework were incredibly intense. We cannot overlook the sense of commitment this process entailed. It is not an ordinary process, nor is it merely about national plans setting targets; it requires the significant involvement of society as a whole and all government sectors. Protecting, conserving, and rehabilitating nature is not just the responsibility of environmental ministries. It is, in fact, a revolution in our way of life on the planet.
We must mobilize all sectors, and from the presidency of this convention, we must adhere to the common framework that we all agreed upon in 2022 to revolutionize how we live and conduct our economies. This would undoubtedly be extraordinary, and I have no doubt that this forum, the CBD, can trigger this reform. We have a political advantage. People from all walks of life, from all sectors of society, from the most urban areas to the most remote rural regions, have a relationship with nature because nature is part of us.
This is an almost spiritual feeling of humanity that can help us recover and forge a common purpose that should be at least as important as decarbonization, energy transition, and security issues. By rehabilitating ecosystems, we can create the security needed for all people, not with weapons, genocides, or wars. We must reconnect with nature, and only then can we regain the sense of humanity and revive the values of multilateralism that led to the founding of the United Nations and other multilateral forums. This is a challenging task; it is not merely about negotiating agenda topics or agreeing on terms to be included in documents.
The Government of Colombia has set these conditions to help us fulfill that mission. Some negotiators have been dedicated to this process, some for more than a decade, and they are here with us today, diplomats who have devoted their lives to understanding others despite the different cultures, realities, and geopolitical conditions of the countries. It is a very difficult and unequal world. The existing multilateral institutions are a product of these efforts, but they are also dividing us. Communities, activists, and the private sector already understand that another economy is possible in the world. The Government of Colombia has allowed us to come together here to forge this coalition of will, a coalition to make Peace with Nature as a fundamental strategic purpose.
We must work together based on principles, and to do so, we must be fully transparent. We need to deliberate sincerely. It is normal for some elements to be difficult to agree upon in these multilateral processes, but we must be willing to find points of convergence, and this will be key to the success of this conference. We must keep the promises made, and this is the first step, not just in terms of financing. That is just the tip of the iceberg, revealing the unequal relationships.
We need to trust one another and then see how we can reach agreements. Your leadership and openness are needed to fulfill this common responsibility. On the other hand, I convey the call made at yesterday’s meeting: let’s not get distracted. The planet cannot afford for us to waste time. Let’s focus on the core issues of the negotiations and let the presidents and co-chairs, who have extensive experience, propose solutions for moving forward. This way, we will have time to discuss the most important matters and agree on methodologies and negotiation processes. Clear rules are essential, as is fair participation, but we must all contribute to this process with that spirit.
We need to reach an agreement for this COP to be successful in at least five areas. First, the work program for Indigenous peoples and local communities. This is not a procedural matter; it means recognizing the political power of those who are at the forefront of the biodiversity crisis and who can also lead the solutions. We must acknowledge that we have different knowledge systems and that all systems and cultures are needed. We must draw on humanity’s ancestral experience on this earth to cope with these uncertainties. How can we restore power to nature?
The decision on DSI (Digital Sequence Information). The Government of Colombia, the incoming Presidency, and the Secretariat have worked to raise awareness of this issue among the parties. It is also a strategic process. I want to thank the presidents of the Working Group who conducted extraordinary consultations during these meetings and intersessional periods. However, this is not just a CBD decision. I believe that the decision on DSI could open the door to other discussions in other conventions. The decision is clear, but it paves the way for innovation that could be considered in meetings on desertification and climate change. It can chart a path and open the door to new possibilities, which is what we need in this crisis.
Another decision is on financing. We lack funds. We all agree that new sources of financing are needed. Moreover, this financing is already established in the targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework, as in Montreal, but we need tools to realize these commitments because this is essential for implementing the decisions made at this forum. It is also fundamental for building trust. We also need a monitoring system.
We must agree on parameters in this regard so that we don’t waste time figuring out whether one is delivering on promises. This should not be perceived as an imposition of multilateralism on each state; it should be a collective agreement that allows us to be accountable to the public transparently. Are we delivering on what we promised? This way, we can know how to intensify our efforts and create more solidarity and new mechanisms. I hope we can agree on this point as well. We will also conduct a review because, at this Conference of the Parties, we want to take full responsibility and be accountable to the citizens of the world.
Together with the Secretariat, we have worked to raise the visibility of the CBD and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in the political sphere. This conference has the most accredited journalists. We also have an unprecedented level of participation from delegations, which means we must achieve results collectively. I warmly welcome you all to Cali, to the Colombian Pacific, and to this sixteenth Conference of the Parties.