The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which was held in Cali, Colombia, has concluded successfully. The conference, which was held from October 29-30, was attended by the Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy Thoriq Ibrahim, as the highest-level of delegation representing the Maldives. Minister Thoriq announced that the Maldives has been elected as a bureau member from the Asia-Pacific Region for the 17th Conference of the Parties and selected to co-chair the conference, following discussions with senior officials from other nations. He highlighted that the primary focus of the discussions was on enhancing collaboration in environmental matters and establishing a fund to protect endangered species under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy emphasised that this fund will significantly contribute to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats, providing financial support and resources to countries like the Maldives to facilitate the implementation of the convention. During the conference, all parties reached an agreement on the designation of specific areas for species, following extensive discussions over the past eight years. During the interventions, Minister Thoriq shed light on the environmental challenges facing the Maldives and discussed the potential use of Planet’s satellite data to tackle these issues. He engaged in extensive talks with various parties and states that support the Maldives in its environmental initiatives.
