UN Photo/Manuel Elias
United Nations Summit on Biodiversity --30 September 2020
The video below is a recording of the entire UN Summit on Biodiversity (11 hours 21 minutes).
For direct links to individual statements click here (video and text).
Our societies are intimately linked with and depend on biodiversity. Its loss and the degradation of its contributions to people jeopardize progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and human wellbeing. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of the relationship between people and nature.
The Summit highlighted the crisis facing humanity from the degradation of biodiversity and the urgent need to accelerate action on biodiversity for sustainable development. It provided an opportunity for Heads of State and Government and other leaders to raise ambition for the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to be held in 2021. This framework, and its effective implementation, must put nature on a path to recovery by 2030 to meet the SDGs and realize the Vision of “Living in harmony with nature”.
The Scope, Modalities, Format and Organization of the Summit have been set out in General Assembly Resolution 74/269, and by decision 74/562 on the High-Level Meetings during the 75th session of the Assembly.
The Summit was held on 30 September, 2020 and Member States, observer States and the European Union submitted pre-recorded statements of their Head of State / Government, ministers or other head of delegation, which was played in the General Assembly Hall.
For more information about the Summit click here.
For a summary of the Summit click here.
More information:
Scope, Modalities, Format and Organization of the Summit
Biodiversity Numbers -- Fact Sheet
What can be done to protect and preserve biodiversity -- Fact Sheet
Agenda
Opening and Welcome Remarks
H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the General Assembly
Statements
- H.E. Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations
- H.E. Mr. Munir Akram, President of Economic and Social Council
- H.E. Mr. Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt
- Host of the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
- H.E. Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China,
- Host of the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
- Mr. Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator (Moderator)
- Ms. Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
- Ms. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
- Ms. Ana María Hernández Salgar, Chair, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)
Statement from Eminent Person
- HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince of Wales Conservation Trust
Statement from Youth Representative
- Ms. Archana Soreng, Indigenous Youth, UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change
The opening segment and the plenary session highlighted the connections between biodiversity, societies and economies. Heads of State and Government and other leaders recognized biodiversity’s multiple and essential contributions to sustainable development, and demonstrated ambition and commitment to accelerate action on biodiversity for sustainable development, for example through whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches and investments to restore, sustainably use, conserve and equitably share benefits from biodiversity.
Key issues
- Addressing the loss of biodiversity is essential for poverty eradication, sustainable jobs, economic development and meeting the SDGs.
- All people depend on a healthy planet.
- Sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity is key to ensure that no one is left behind.
- Restoration of biodiversity and implementation of nature-based solutions will be essential to meet the SDGs.
- The Decade of Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development provides a critical opportunity to halt biodiversity loss and encourage its sustainable use.
- Urgent action on biodiversity is needed across all sectors and from all actors.
This session highlighted the opportunities and priorities for action to tackle the causes of biodiversity loss and for integrating action on biodiversity for sustainable development into key sectors. Heads of State and Government and other leaders demonstrated ambitious actions to address the causes of biodiversity loss and mainstream biodiversity action across all sectors of government, society and the economy.
Key Issues
- The main direct causes and impacts of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are well known.
- There is widespread agreement on the actions urgently required to address biodiversity loss, and the need to embed these in all sectors of sustainable development.
- Sustainable consumption and production will require decoupling the concept of a good life from perpetual economic growth.
- Positive incentives to ensure co-benefits for biodiversity, societies and economies.
- Successful on-the-ground actions can be further scaled-up to help address biodiversity loss.
- Whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity need to be strengthened.
This session highlighted ways and means to support accelerated biodiversity action, including through harnessing science, technology and innovation, strengthening capacity-building, and enhancing access and benefit-sharing, financing and partnerships for biodiversity. The session provided an opportunity for Heads of State and Government and other leaders to identify implementation priorities and showcase initiatives and commitments to ensure the availability of sufficient resources to deliver the post-2020 global biodiversity framework as a contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Key Issues
- Increased ambition and commitment are needed to repurpose existing resources and deliver new and additional resources and other means of implementation.
- Transformation is needed to ensure financial and economic systems become positive for nature while ensuring well being of people.
- Both new finance and major repurposing of existing public and private finance are required.
- Capacity and readiness to access available finance are critical for the effective use of resources.
- Science and technology, along with indigenous and local knowledge, can support transformations to sustainability
- Access and benefit-sharing instruments have the potential to generate benefits for society and biodiversity.
- Multi-stakeholder partnerships and action across sectors are essential for positive biodiversity outcomes