Notification 2024-023

Dear Sir or Madam, 

On 19 December 2023, the one-year anniversary of the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity launched “The Biodiversity Plan” campaign aiming to communicate and promote the 4 Goals and the 23 Targets of the Framework to the world. Communicating the Biodiversity Plan is crucial to enabling a whole-of-society approach that will take the world from agreement to action.

I am pleased to announce that the theme of the 2024 edition of the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB, 22 May) is: “Be part of the Plan”. 

The chosen theme is a call to action to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity. Governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, non-governmental organizations, lawmakers, businesses and individuals are encouraged to highlight the ways in which they are supporting the implementation of the Biodiversity Plan. Everyone has a role to play and therefore, can Be part of the Plan.

This year, the IDB will coincide with two meetings of the subsidiary bodies of the Convention on Biological Diversity, both taking place in Nairobi, namely: the twenty-sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 26, 13-18 May 2024) and the fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI 4, 21-29 May 2024). A celebration event will take place on 22 May 2024 in Nairobi on the sidelines of the SBI meeting. IDB 2024 is expected to increase the visibility momentum in the lead-up to the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16), to be held in Cali, Colombia from 21 October to 1 November 2024. 

As per standard practice, the Secretariat is developing a variety of communication products to help celebrate this important official observance, including the following: 

• An IDB 2024 webpage, presenting the theme and encouraging extensive participation. 
• IDB 2024 logo file that can be downloaded from the IDB 2024 webpage for use in events and celebrations around the world. 

The IDB 2024 website will also spotlight the events that Parties and partners will organize, offering links to multilingual content and showing broad uptake of the Biodiversity Plan. As we approach IDB 2024, the website will feature updates, including: 

• Messages and statements from officials, dignitaries and influencers. 
• Calls to action inviting a wide range of actors to “Be part of the Plan”.
• An online tool to customize the IDB 2024 logo with the user’s preferred language, name or institution/company.
• A Trello Board offering multimedia assets and consistent messages that users around the world can draw upon to for posting on their preferred social media platforms.

Parties and partners are also encouraged to organize celebration events and to join the global social media campaign using the IDB hashtags: 

• Primary: #BiodiversityDay
• Secondary: #PartOfThePlan #ForNature

I would like to invite Parties and partners to notify the Secretariat of their planned activities so that they may be included in the IDB 2024 webpage on the CBD Secretariat website. 

Please accept, Sir, Madam the assurances of my highest consideration. 

(Signed) David Cooper 

 Acting Executive Secretary

Enclosure

International Day for Biological Diversity 2024

Background 

The United Nations proclaimed 22 May as the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. This universal observance commemorates the adoption of the text of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on 22 May 1992 and provides a unique opportunity to foster wide support for the Convention, its Protocols and related action frameworks, including the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework—the Biodiversity Plan. 

The 2024 edition of IDB offers ample opportunities for engagement with a wide range of actors and stakeholders. The campaign proposed by the Secretariat of the CBD seeks to bring about a surge of awareness and to increase commitment in the lead-up to the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD that will take place from 21 October to 1 November 2024 in Cali, Colombia. 

In addition to the expected celebrations around the world, IDB 2024 will coincide with two meetings of the subsidiary bodies of the Convention on Biological Diversity, namely: the twenty-sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 26, 13-18 May 2024) and the fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI 4, 21-29 May 2024). Celebrations to be held in Nairobi with the representatives of the Parties, observers and guests, will highlight progress and offer opportunities to advocate bolder action in the implementation of the Biodiversity Plan, translating globally agreed targets into national action. 

Theme of IDB 2024: “Be Part of the Plan”

The chosen theme is a call to action to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity. Governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, non-governmental organizations, lawmakers, businesses and individuals are encouraged to highlight the ways in which they are supporting the implementation of the Biodiversity Plan. Everyone has a role to play and therefore, can Be Part of the Plan.

Logo of IDB 2024

The logo files will be available for download from the IDB 2024 webpage: www.cbd.int/idb 

Official IDB 2024 hashtags 

• Primary: #BiodiversityDay
• Secondary: #PartOfThePlan #ForNature

Structure

The celebration of IDB 2024 will be two-fold: 

• A global outreach campaign supported by the CBD Secretariat, including through the provision of action-oriented messages and visual assets, where national institutions, partners, stakeholders and members of the public are invited to organize in-person events and engage in digital awareness-raising on social media. 

• Advocacy and engagement with Parties aiming to showcase progress accomplished in the implementation of the Biodiversity Plan and to advocate swifter action by other Parties, including in the preparation of adequately funded and integrated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), which constitute the primary vehicle for national implementation of the Biodiversity Plan.

By blending communication, awareness and advocacy, the global celebration of IDB 2024 is expected to promote a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach to the implementation of the Biodiversity Plan. 

Activities will include: 

• A digital campaign catalyzed by the CBD Secretariat, with wide support from partners, including members of the Informal Advisory Committee on Communication, Education and Public Awareness (nominated by the Parties to the CBD). This campaign is aimed at the public at large and will seek to increase awareness by harnessing social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Facebook, YouTube). 

• Celebrations: any in-person or online events or activities organized around the world to mark IDB. Organizers of celebrations are invited to submit their plans to the Secretariat for sharing on the website.

• Wave of Solidarity: messages of support received from around the world and featured on the webpages. On IDB, the messages are shared in different time zones on social media.