Deputy Minister Leads South Africa at COP16 in Colombia

Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Narend Singh, will head South Africa’s delegation at the 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD COP16) in Cali, Colombia. The delegation aims to actively engage in negotiations to promote global biodiversity conservation, enhance sustainable resource use, and advocate for equitable benefit-sharing from the use of genetic resources and digital sequence information (DSI).

“We approach COP16 with a clear focus on aligning biodiversity conservation with social and economic development, ensuring that the use of our biological resources benefits all South Africans,” said Singh. He noted that South Africa will demonstrate its efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, within its national capabilities, and call for adequate, predictable financial resources to protect natural heritage. Furthermore, Singh reiterated President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for reforming the global financial architecture to meet developing economies’ needs for sustainable development.

South Africa will negotiate as part of the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN) on Biodiversity, focusing on key issues including resource mobilisation, planning and reporting mechanisms, scientific and technical cooperation, and the benefits developing countries can derive from DSI. A primary goal for South Africa is advocating for the establishment of a dedicated Global Biodiversity Fund under the COP’s authority. This fund is seen as crucial to bridging the $200 billion annual financing gap necessary to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The country will push for clear financial commitments from developed nations, in line with Article 20 of the Convention, to support the obligations of developing countries.

As one of the world’s mega-diverse nations, South Africa will back the adoption of a practical decision for the operationalisation of a multilateral mechanism to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of DSI. This includes both monetary and non-monetary benefits, contributing to conservation efforts, sustainable use of biodiversity, and livelihood improvements for indigenous and local communities.

South Africa’s priorities at COP16 encompass triggers for benefit sharing, the collection and distribution of funds, the selection of a fund host, and data governance. Singh highlighted the importance of aligning these initiatives with the country’s broader efforts to protect biodiversity while fostering socio-economic development.

The conference, which runs from 21 October to 1 November 2024, will see Singh participate in the High-Level Segment on 29–30 October. For the first time in the history of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Heads of State and Finance Ministers have been invited to join the discussions, providing political momentum to finalise negotiations for accelerating the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

South Africa’s participation underscores its commitment to global biodiversity goals and the necessity for a collective approach to tackle the biodiversity crisis. As negotiations unfold, the country’s focus will remain on ensuring that the outcomes lead to meaningful action and tangible benefits for all.