Vice President Faisal Naseem has stated that the ambitions of the United Nations (UN)-led Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) should be in concert with the unique circumstances of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). He made these remarks in a video message he delivered at the 15th meeting of the UN Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15).
In the message, Vice President Naseem noted that the Maldives is a founding member of Political Vision: The 10 Point Plan for Financing Biodiversity, as SIDS is at the front lines of the triple planetary crisis, including biodiversity loss. The plan, led by the Maldives alongside Ecuador, Gabon, and the United Kingdom (UK), calls on governments to come together in support of ambitious action for nature and support its protection, conservation, restoration, and sustainable use.
Furthermore, Vice President Naseem said ocean states have an outstandingly rich biodiversity in their coastal and marine ecosystems and therefore it is imperative to be pragmatic and to ensure the correct means of implementation towards halting and reversing biodiversity loss, while nations look to adopt the GBF in a few days. He called on humanity to ensure that nature survives and that they are not responsible for the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of lives within the ecosystems. He also stressed the need to remain within the safe limits of the planetary boundaries and called on the global community to work together towards living in harmony with nature.
COP15 is taking place in Canada, from December 7-19. The GBF sets targets and milestones for governments to meet by the end of the decade to protect the world's oceans and land, reduce pesticide use, eliminate plastic waste, and increase financial resources dedicated to biodiversity.