Notification 2021-029

Dear Madam/Sir, I am pleased to inform Parties and observers that the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), under the guidance of the Co-Chairs of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, is organizing a workshop entitled: “The financial sector and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework”, which will be held online on 17 and 18 June 2021. The Conference of the Parties, in decision 14/34, urged Parties and invited other Governments and stakeholders, including the finance community, to actively engage and contribute to the process of developing a robust post-2020 global biodiversity framework in order to foster strong ownership of the framework to be agreed and strong support for its immediate implementation, and to facilitate dialogues on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and to make the results of these dialogues available through appropriate means”. The post-2020 global biodiversity framework has the potential to promote the transformative changes in global finance necessary to achieve the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity. In this regard, the objective of the workshop is to facilitate a structured dialogue among experts from the finance community and other experts from Parties and stakeholders, on how the finance sector can most effectively contribute to the post-2020 global biodiversity framework that will support achievement of the 2050 Vision and to identify the priority actions needed by both Parties and the financial sector to enable the post-2020 framework’s implementation. As concrete outcomes of the workshop, it is foreseen to (i) build mutual understanding between the global financial sector – both private and public – and the CBD community, as a basis for stronger collaboration on the role of finance in the development and implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and to (ii) identify actions that could put the global financial sector (with governments and regulators) on track to contribute to the objectives of an ambitious post-2020 framework and the commitment of Parties within the framework, that would be needed to facilitate this contribution most effectively. The outputs of this workshop will be provided as information for the third meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The preparatory documentation and the provisional agenda for the workshop will be posted in due course at: https://www.cbd.int/meetings/POST2020-OM-2021-04. The Secretariat will be updating this webpage as new information becomes available. The workshop will be held on 17 June 2021 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (EST) and on 18 June 2021 from 8.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. (EST). It will be conducted in English only. Interested participants, preferably with experience in financial matters and working on biodiversity finance-related issues, are invited to pre-register for the workshop as soon as possible but no later than 7 May 2021, by clicking on the following link: https://www.cbd.int/financial/webinar/registration. Please note that, with a view to fostering an interactive discussion, the number of participants will be limited. In case that a larger number of interested participants pre-register, the Secretariat and the Co-chairs will take into account their expertise and experiences, while ensuring balanced geographical distribution and due regard to gender balance, when undertaking final registration. Additionally, participants will be able to watch livestream of the discussions through a link that will be made available on the workshop webpage in due course. I look forward to your active participation and thank you for your continued support to the work of the Convention. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: CBD National Focal Points, Resource Mobilization National Focal Points, financial sector representatives, businesses, UN agencies, IGOs, NGOs and other relevant international stakeholders