London, September 17, 2024 – After two days of agenda to strengthen international relations around COP16 and other key environmental issues in London, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Susana Muhamad, assured that the world summit on biodiversity will have a large participation of heads of state, more than 100 environment ministers and delegations from around the world, which will concentrate more than 14,500 people in the Blue Zone.
“While climate change COPs always have a large participation of heads of state from around the world, this is the first time that a biodiversity summit will have so many countries represented. To date, 10 heads of state, 103 environment ministers and 196 United Nations delegations have confirmed their attendance,” said Minister Muhamad.
More than 14,500 people have already been accredited to participate in the Blue Zone, located at the Pacific Valley Events Center, including heads of state, environment ministers, delegations and media.
In addition to the Secretary General of the United Nations,António Guterres, Muhamad confirmed the attendance to this world meeting of the presidents of Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Panama, Honduras, Ghana, Suriname, Mozambique, Haiti and Guinea Bissau, and the vice presidents of Cuba and Kenya.
Minister Susana Muhamad emphasized that, for the first time, a Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity will have a large participation of heads of state to make decisions focused on reversing the loss of biodiversity.
Colombia, host of COP16
Muhamad added that this shows that Colombia will be the epicenter of a great global mobilization around the protection and conservation of biodiversity, which should encourage all countries to have greater ambition in decision-making so that this is a COP of results that materializes in concrete and effective mechanisms for the implementation of the Kunming Montreal Framework.
““COP16 is not only a key event for the country this year because of its importance in environmental matters, but the largest and most significant event that Colombia has hosted in the last 50 years, due to the large representation of countries,” said Muhamad.
COP16 is the world's most important biodiversity summit that will bring together more than 190 countries in Cali, Colombia, from October 21 to November 1.
1 Comment