UN Secretary General António Guterres urged nations to fulfill their financial pledges and accelerate support for developing countries, emphasizing that “those who benefit from nature must contribute to its protection and restoration.” 

A significant achievement of COP16 was the creation of a permanent consultative body for indigenous peoples, allowing them to influence UN decisions on nature conservation. This development recognizes the crucial role played by indigenous communities in the preservation of biodiverse areas worldwide. 

In addition, a measure was adopted that recognizes the contributions of people of African descent in nature conservation, facilitating their access to resources for biodiversity projects and their participation in global environmental dialogues. 

Colombian President Gustavo Petro emphasized the need to change global finance away from greed and towards environmental protection. Petro urged to generate “new modes of production” and to conceive wealth differently, relying on clean energy instead of fossil fuels. 

COP16 also addressed key issues such as the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from genetic resources and the protection of local communities. Colombia's vice minister of environmental policy and standardization, Mauricio Cabrera, highlighted the importance of developing adequate economic instruments to finance the necessary transformations in countries' biodiversity action plans. 

As part of the summit, Colombia's Biodiversity Action Plan was presented, a roadmap with six major goals to halt the loss of biodiversity, make sustainable use of it and achieve a fair and equitable distribution of the benefits it produces. 

COP16 in Cali marked a milestone in global efforts to protect biodiversity, establishing financial commitments and recognizing the fundamental role of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in nature conservation. The “Peace with Nature” declaration and the commitment of US$75 million for biodiversity in Colombia reflect significant progress towards the effective implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Economic impact of COP16 in Cali

The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity has had a significant economic impact on the region. According to the Governor's Office of Valle del Cauca, during the period from October 19 to 28, lodging sales exceeded US$11 million, with an average hotel occupancy rate of 91%.

The Secretary of Tourism of Valle del Valle, Julián Franco, highlighted that more than 8,000 people visited the Blue Zone daily, while the Green Zone received more than 500,000 visitors. On October 24, the day of the launch of the Valle del Cauca stand in the Green Zone, a record attendance of 80,000 people was recorded.

In addition to lodging revenues, COP16 attracted 15,237 international visitors who participated in tourist activities such as visits to San Cipriano, Nirvana, Juanchaco and Playa Dorada, as well as bird watching at Pico de Loro and tours of rural Cali. According to Situr figures, 23,600 non-overnight visitors also contributed to local consumption during the conference.

Autora: Laura Díaz Carro

TSTT Press Correspondent