Columbian government officials and indigenous groups have vowed to strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts as the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP) opened on Sunday in the country's southwestern city of Cali.
The meeting, which began on Monday and runs through Nov 1, brings together more than 15,000 people from over 190 countries, including global environmental ministers and ecological experts, making it the most attended event of its kind since the conference began in 1994, UN officials said.
Data showed that Colombia has lost more than 6 million hectares of forest since 1990, and such deforestation process is still accelerating due to illicit economies like drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and the illegal wildlife trade.
Caught in the middle are marginalized communities that are trying to protect nature but are often reduced to just trying to survive, according to government officials.
"These are historically marginalized communities that have been historically abandoned by the government, where there is no alternative economic strategies and where organized criminal groups have coerced communities," said Mauricio Cabrera Leal, Vice Minister of Environmental Policies and Standardization of Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia.
Nancy Bravo comes from one of those war-ravaged areas in Colombia, her Nasa indigenous community in the Cauca Valley has been battling deforestation from the illegal coca trade.
As the regional councilwoman and a spectator of the COP16, Bravo said her people have fought hard to develop legitimate, sustainable businesses, and wanted to learn what other communities are doing to battle illegal economies.
"We consider as a community that any opportunity to unite, and whoever we can ally with for the care of the environment is important. That is why we are here," she said.
The government should take the opportunity of the conference to formulate strategies to combat illegal deforestation and transnational crime and strengthen community building, such as pushing for a COP16 agreement to promote transparency in the mineral sector and encouraging more discussions for transitional change, according to Leal.
"We want the signing of an international agreement, for the traceability and transparency of minerals, so that producers and buyers can find transparency in this process, so we can halt conflicts, human trafficking, contamination, and mercury use," said Leal.
Colombians vow to strengthen biodiversity conservation
Colombians vow to strengthen biodiversity conservation
Colombians vow to strengthen biodiversity conservation
