Editorial, EL ESPECTADOR, November 3, 2024
https://www.elespectador.com/opinion/editorial/el-gran-exito-de-cali-y-colombia-con-la-cop16/
(Translated by Eunice Gibson, CSN Volunteer Translator)
Cali and Colombia distinguished themselves with the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP16). None of the main fears that were felt in the months preceding the event materialized. Security was guaranteed to the letter, the logistical organization was impeccable, the city presented its best face and behavior, and the national government became a world leader in the debates about sustainability. As often happens with the COP, we would have liked to see more commitment and much more urgency, as there are still questions about financing, and the absence of the United States is a monkey wrench in the gears. Nevertheless, the revitalization of the role of the indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities, the agreements on the use of information, and the renewed ties between the countries show the importance of meetings of this kind.
The COP is the product of another time. Like all the auspicious gatherings by the United Nations, it’s a push for multilateralism while countries are acting in a very isolated manner. That’s why frustration has been growing. For global problems, the failure to cooperate creates obstacles that ought not exist. However, there is no other way. The eco-centric vision obliges us to recognize that the defense of biodiversity and the struggle against climate emergencies are a problem for all of humanity, not just for each country on its own. If there is no solidarity, if we don’t construct mechanisms that are legally binding, all this will be condemned to failure. In that context, we could perhaps begin with the flaw in the COP16. We are continuing without ambitious and efficient systems for financing. The richest countries continue to have a lot of influence on how funds are distributed, which leads to problems. Brazil did well, for example, to insist on a new multilateral fund for conservation in developing countries, provided it would be managed by a fiduciary under UN supervision. However, the discussion on the major structural issues of financing was postponed for future COP’s. Once again, we are lacking ambition when everything is being left to the tangles of international diplomacy.
That said, there indeed were several pieces of good news from COP16. Thanks to the administration of Colombia’s President, represented by the Minister of Environment, Susana Muhamad, the World Coalition for Peace with Nature was developed, the aforementioned fund was created, the role of the Afro communities was recognized, a mechanism for recognizing the influence of the indigenous communities was created, they agreed on a system for distributing the benefits of the products being built on the basis of natural information. Beyond the specific agreements, our country adopted a position of regional and global leadership. That is demonstrated by the approval, finally, of Colombian Martin Hildebrand as the new Secretary General of the treaty organization for Amazon coordination (Otca in Spanish).
Thank you, Cali, for having been an exceptional convention site. We said that at the time. It was an enormously wise move by Colombia’s President, Gustavo Petro, when he chose the capital of Valle del Cauca Department. The success of the COP16 also demonstrates the success of harmonious coordination between the national government and local governments: when there’s a will, results are extraordinary. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it’s exciting that our country could be the center of such essential conversations.