There are multiple international meetings that will address, during this year, the accelerated loss of natural wealth on a global scale. The most prominent is the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

The United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity has set itself the goal of protecting at least 30% of marine and terrestrial territory by 2030. It is a strategy for the next ten years whose objective is to halt and reverse the decline of species and thus be able to restore ecosystem services critical to the survival of humanity.

There are multiple international meetings that will address, during this year, the accelerated loss of natural wealth on a global scale. The most prominent is the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which will be held from 5 to 10 October 2020 in Kunming, China, and where the achievements and results of the CBD’s Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 will be reviewed.

Among the most outstanding calls are the XIII Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species and Wild Animals in Gandhinagar (India), held last week.

In addition, the World Biodiversity Forum ends today in Davos, Switzerland, and the first preparatory meeting of the COP15 parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is also being held this week.

From 2 to 6 June, Portugal and Kenya will jointly host the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon.

Also in June, the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020 will take place in Marseille, France, with the theme Nature, our future.

From 27 to 31 July, Bogota will host the second preparatory meeting of the parties to COP15 to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

At the end of August, between 23 and 28 August, Stockholm will host World Water Week, with a theme focused on science and innovation.

On September 22, during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, the leaders attending the summit on biodiversity will meet.

BIODIVERSITY AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL

Spain will once again play a leading role with a view to reaching a multilateral agreement. Thus, at the national level, the Government has set among its priorities the preparation of a New Strategic Plan for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity, which will allow measures for the conservation, sustainable use, improvement and restoration of natural heritage and biodiversity to be brought forward with a horizon to 2030.

A Strategic Plan for Wetlands will also be developed, with the aim of guaranteeing the conservation of these ecosystems and specifically of wetlands declared of International Importance.

In addition, the Sierra de las Nieves, in Malaga, will soon be incorporated into the Network of National Parks and work is being done so that the Mar de las Calmas, on the Canary Island of El Hierro, becomes the first fully marine National Park.

Likewise, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge is finalising the Green Infrastructure Strategy and Ecological Connectivity and Restoration, which will contribute to conserving and improving our natural capital, avoiding the fragmentation of ecosystems and protected areas.