Like-minded group on biodiversity and development

Stock-take plenary session

I am honored to take the floor on behalf of a broad coalition of like-minded developing countries in respect of the issue of resource mobilization for biodiversity. This group includes the African Group, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Paraguay, the Philippines, and Venezuela.

Our territories are home to most of the biological diversity of the world. We are leaders in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and we are committed to continue as such, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. When COP15 agrees on an ambitious GBF, we will bear a higher burden than others in implementing it. That is why we emphasize, in the strongest possible terms, that the adoption of the GBF at this COP must be accompanied by approval of a commensurately robust package on resource mobilization. In line with the principle of equity, it should ensure the provision of predictable, measurable, new, additional, and adequate financial resources from developed countries to developing ones. It should also ensure accessibility and proper monitoring of the financial commitments and pledges. Only a framework with clear targets and an architecture for resource mobilization and access can be considered an ambitious framework.

Our group would like to recall the spirit of solidarity and cooperation that inspired us in 1992 and call for its renewal. The Rio Principles are as relevant as ever. We agree that the implementation of the GBF will require additional funds from all sources. DSI has a role to play in this regard. At the same time, the resources mobilized from the private sector cannot be conflated with the legal obligations contained in Articles 20 and 21 of the CBD.

Our group sees merit in the idea of a resource mobilization strategy that would contain two steps, as suggested by the co-chairs of the contact group. But let us be clear: the first, two-year step of this strategy needs to be incremental and contain pathways to reach tangible outcomes that will allow us to move effectively and immediately in implementing the GBF.

Mr. President,

It is time to fulfill a mandate as old as our Convention and establish a funding mechanism that is dedicated to biodiversity, complementing the resource mobilization landscape. This would be a “second

generation fund”, in the sense that it would draw on lessons learned from the successes and limitations of existing funds, with a view to ensure timely, direct and needs-based access by developing countries, making the CDB “future-ready”.

Emulating the historic decision taken just a few weeks ago at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh to establish a fund on loss and damage, COP15 can decide to take this step and set up a process to detail its modalities and structure, to be concluded by COP16. In the meantime, and beyond, the GEF would continue to fulfill its valuable role in financing many environmental issues, including biodiversity. It will remain necessary to address the issues of efficiency, access and scale in the GEF and other existing multilateral financial institutions, including to ensure that they are responsive to the GBF.

The scale of resources that that will be required to implement the GBF make it clear that the existing multilateral sources are not up to this task. It is crucial to include a clear figure under target 19.1. We recall that our group has proposed that developed countries commit to mobilize and jointly provide financial grants of at least USD 100 billion annually or 1% of global GDP until 2030, an amount to be revised for the period 2030–2050. These resources should be new and additional to those already being provided under other MEAs.

Mr. President,

The mechanism for reporting, review, and planning must include modalities for the reporting by all countries on the biodiversity finance and other support that they are committing, including reporting by developed countries on what they have provided to developing countries. Such information should also be considered integral to the review of progress of the GBF, whose modalities and processes are still under discussion, to provide a greater level of transparency and enable us to meet the implementation needs counting with the financial resources under Article 20.

Mr. President,

Our group will continue to engage constructively in the days ahead. We all want a successful COP. And we will continue to uphold that, for this COP to be a success, solidarity and equity should be overarching principles in our work. Decisions on adequate and accessible resource mobilization must be central to the package of outcomes to be adopted, along with the long overdue acknowledgement that DSI is covered by the access and benefit-sharing provisions of the CBD.

Thank you.