With less than two weeks to Biodiversity COP16 in Cali, Colombia, the 8th Summit for Subnational Governments & Cities has released its full program.
Taking place on 26 October at 9:00 UTC-5 / 16:00 UTC+2, this one-day Summit, an official high-level parallel event to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP16 Colombia (21 Oct – 1 Nov), will bring together governors, mayors, subnational leaders, and key global stakeholders to collaborate with national leaders on biodiversity action, focusing on three core themes:
1. Partnering: Explore innovative partnerships between governments, cities, the private sector, and development banks to bridge the biodiversity finance gap.
2. Progress: Reflect on the advancements in urban and territorial biodiversity action, showcasing successful implementation of the GBF and other key biodiversity initiatives.
3. Peace: Discover best practices and innovative approaches that foster harmony with nature, promoting sustainable development and biodiversity conservation.
The Summit is co-hosted by ICLEI, UN Biodiversity Secretariat, City of Cali, Colombian Ministry of Environment & Sustainable Development, and Regions4. It is sponsored by CAF – Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe, and co-sponsored by DAI and Veolia.
Over the past two decades, ICLEI, through our Cities Biodiversity Center (CBC), has collaborated closely with the United Nations Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Biodiversity COP host countries and cities, and our key partners, such as Regions4 and UN Environment Programme, to elevate the voice of local and subnational governments at the Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP), ensuring that strong action is taken to create vibrant cities and regions, where people and biodiversity can thrive.
This collaboration has not only resulted in global summits for the local and subnational government constituency, as official parallel events at the COPs, but also a seat and voice in the negotiations. This has led to the adoption of more than 20 Decisions recognizing cities and regions contributions to the CBD and global biodiversity targets, including a dedicated Decision providing for a multilevel governance mechanism and plan of action on engaging subnational governments and cities.
Follow the livestream here and learn more about the Summit here.