MED News 01/2019

The 14^th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was held at Sharm-al-Sheikh in Egypt, between the 17^th and 29^th November of 2018, marking the very first time that the conference had been held in the Middle East. The event attracted a total of 3,800 participants from various countries and walks of life, such as governmental and non-governmental organisations, academia, and private sector.

What is the COP CBD and Why Does it Matter?

The Convention on Biological Diversity first came into being on the 22^nd of May, 1992. The CBD was soon opened up for signature on the 5^th of June, 1992. This was done at the UN Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Rio “Earth Summit”.  

The CBD soon entered into a working and administrative position, soon gathering a number of different people and parties under its umbrella. As of now, there are a total of 196 different parties who are part of the convention, which has its aim defined as the conservation of biodiversity, its sustainable usage, and a just and equitable distribution of all the benefits that human beings receive from nature.

The Conference of the Parties is the main governing body of the Convention with three different bodies meeting regularly for that purpose. They are the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), the Working Group on Article 8(j) (traditional knowledge), and its relevant provisions, as well as the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI).

Over the years, the CBD has led to a number of key decisions towards the protection of biodiversity, including:

• The Jakarta Mandate on Marine and Coastal Biological Diversity (COP 2, November 1995, Jakarta, Indonesia);
• A resource mobilization strategy, and scientific criteria and guidance for marine areas in need of protection (COP 9, May 2008, Bonn, Germany);
• The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, including the Aichi Targets, and a decision on activities and indicators for the implementation of the resource mobilization strategy (COP 10, October 2010, Nagoya, Japan).

These are just a few of the major achievements made over the years in the framework of the CBD and COP aiming to turn the war against irreparable biodiversity damage.

Overview on the CBD COP 14 Conclusions

Post-2020 preparatory process under the Convention: The Conference set up an intersessional open-ended working group (OEWG) on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

Spatial planning, protected areas, and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs): Delegates underlined the lack of adequate human, financial, and administrative resources slowing the progress of Protected Areas integration and mainstreaming. In the decision (UNEP/CBD/COP/14/L.19), the COP encourages the parties to apply the voluntary guidance on the integration of protected areas and OECMs into wider land- and seascapes and mainstreaming across sectors to contribute, inter alia, to the SDGs.

Marine Litter and underwater noise: In the decision (UNEP/CBD/COP/14/L.24), the COP urges parties to increase their efforts aimed at:

• avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating the impacts of marine debris, in particular plastic pollution, on marine and coastal biodiversity and habitats;
• addressing the potential impacts of deep-seabed mining on marine biodiversity; and
• protecting biodiversity in cold-water areas.

Climate change and ecosystem-based approaches: In the decision (CBD/COP/14/L.23), the COP expresses deep concern over failure to hold temperature increase well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and emphasizes the importance to maintain the integrity of ecosystems. The voluntary guidelines for the design and effective implementation of ecosystem-based approaches (EbA) to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) were adopted. The voluntary guidelines are intended to be used as a framework for planning and implementing EbA and Eco-DRR.

The fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, delivered a number of decisions that would guide future conservation drives and methods.

We were able to interview Mr. Chedly Rais, a Mediterranean ecologist and marine diversity expert. Mr. Chedly Rais had a number of interesting ideas to share.

Question/ While there are many reasons to be concerned about the marine environmental status worldwide, are there some reasons to be optimistic about the world's oceans in 2019, and concerning the Mediterranean Sea in particular?

Reply/ There are reasons to be optimistic for the future of the oceans in 2019, but without any significant hope for results. Indeed, even though the evolution towards an improvement of the status of oceans and the reduction of threats they face are slow, many countries have engaged in promising initiatives for 2019.

At the Mediterranean level, the marine strategy launched by the European Union for its member countries is particularly interesting. It aims to achieve the Good Environmental Status while addressing several different aspects, fostering the integration of the ecosystem approach to achieve more tangible and sustainable results.

There is one point to note, however, that if the reasons for optimism exist for certain domains or regions, it is unrealistic to be optimistic for others. This is notably the case with climate change. The effects of which are becoming more and more perceptible while the pace of measures taken for its mitigation is insufficient to suggest positive results in the immediate future.

The same goes for the accumulation of plastic litter in the oceans and the threats brought about by microplastics, along with underwater noise. For both issues, it is difficult to be optimistic about the countries' response to them.

The evolution of MPAs in the world and in the Mediterranean is a reason for optimism. Indeed, following the global call through the CBD Aichi targets, a visible effort can be seen all around the world for the deployment of more MPAs. There is also a great effort underway to improve the management of MPAs and to further integrate them into the socio-economic context of the regions and places where they have been deployed.

The next CBD COP will be called to define a post-2020 framework for biodiversity conservation. It is important that the Mediterranean region adheres, via its countries, to this process that was launched last year to support and define this framework.

Question/ If there were to be 3 actions to undertake in 2019 to address the growing fragility of marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean, what could they be?

Reply/

• Launch a major initiative to be more knowledgeable about and safeguard the Mediterranean deep-sea This would involve undertaking field campaigns to improve the knowledge on the marine deep habitats in the Mediterranean. The results of the campaign should be then used to take action. This includes the establishment of MPAs in regular areas and the ABNJs [Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction].
• Finalize an Atlas of Posidonia oceanica meadows and work to obtain each and every Mediterranean region country’s commitment to create MPAs to protect 25% of the meadows coverage.
• Develop and adopt an action plan to reduce the impact of plastics on biodiversity.

Mr. Rais predictions for the future show a pragmatic approach to the idea of marine conservation and protecting of biodiversity. Although the CBD has been successful to a degree (as seen in the figure below) ever since the first COP meeting in 1993, there still exist various areas where they need to focus on. Many conservationists advocate to establish more effectively managed MPAs and have a more integrated approach to marine biodiversity conservation. However, as Mr. Rais points out, that can only happen if the relevant parties take the necessary steps to implement the existing framework.

Growth in protected areas coverage on land and in the ocean

The following figure shows growth in protected areas coverage on land and in the ocean (EEZ and ABNJ) between 1990 and 2018 and projected growth to 2020 according to commitments from countries and territories.

MPAs have increased more than 15-fold since 1993 when the CBD entered into force.

SPA/RAC and INFO/RAC participated in the CBD COP 14 to share the Mediterranean experience in terms of biodiversity protection. A stand was set up throughout the duration of the COP 14 to inform on the the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (IMAP) and the EcAp-MED II project.

The recently held Conference of Parties (COP 14) of the CBD in Egypt was attended by a total of 3,800 participants, representing numerous occupations and backgrounds. The theme and subject  of importance for the Convention were the protection of biodiversity in the World as well as the involvement of the local population in the conservation of resources and biodiversity. Along with the different plenary events that took place in the Convention, there were some side events on show as well.

Some of these side events were organized, by the UN Environment/MAP-SPA/RAC in conjunction with the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) and other relevant regional partners, in order to discuss the importance of marine life in the Mediterranean along with the steps being taken to conserve it, including:

The Barcelona Convention and What It Offered in Egypt

The Barcelona Convention provides a regional cooperation framework for promoting the conservation of marine and costal biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea.

At the CBD COP 14, SPA/RAC presented the work currently being done to conserve the biodiversity of the Mediterranean coasts of Egypt, especially the activities undertaken within the MedMPA Network project, funded by the European Union, to develop the network of marine protected areas, as per the aims and priorities of the Barcelona Convention.

At the event, the main talks included discussing future actions, with insight being offered into what might come next and exactly what might be needed beyond 2020 in order to keep the Barcelona Convention’s programmes in line with global agenda and targets, in particular those related to SDG 14 and Aichi Biodiversity Target 11. This includes the need to further support the implementation of the ecosystem approach and its integration in the environmental policies.

Global Dialogues on Sustainable Ocean Initiatives

The Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) is a United Nations global platform to build partnerships and enhance capacity to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets to which the UN Environment/MAP-SPA/RAC has been actively contributing, as it aims to provide a sustainable and long-lasting solution for marine life preservation. The Sustainable Ocean Initiative has been launched, handled, and promoted particularly to meet the Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 at sea, with many major outcomes currently being planned or being operated.

At the CBD COP14, SPA/RAC contributed to the promotion of the global dialogue involving Regional Fisheries Bodies and Regional Sea Organizations, thus supporting SDGs 6, 11 and 14 while aiding to reach Aichi Target 11. This included presenting the Mediterranean experience in a cross-sectorial collaboration, in particular between UN Environment/MAP – Barcelona Convention and the FAO General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. This dialogue and attention oriented towards regional participation allowed to achieve some tangible results and to produce key outcomes.

Generating Marine Data and Services for North Africa

In order to protect marine life and the human activities that depend on it, the support of the national authorities and local people may be required. Many countries in North Africa lack of observatories to collect real time marine data and the associated services of data processing and modelling. That is something SPA/RAC has been focusing on, with COP 14 providing a perfect opportunity to showcase more of this activity undertaken in the framework of the ODYSSEA project financed by European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

With hosts UNEP-WCMC | SPA/RAC | RAED | Deltares combining to lead the event, there was a general focus on innovation and solutions that can make a difference. The general topic of discussion was offering better marine data and services to facilitate better decision making in the North African region and the Mediterranean in terms of ecosystem management and human activities. With accurate data available on demand, through an interoperable platform linking data and services from at least nine Mediterranean observatories, this objective becomes easier to achieve.

An Ecosystem Approach to the Conservation of Biodiversity in the Mediterranean

Applying the Ecosystem based management (EBM) to protect biodiversity was one of the topics where SPA/RAC participated in through a side event during COP 14. The event organized by UfM - ETC-UMA with the participation of SPA/RAC discussed a number of topics that focused on EBM tools and policy processes to address transboundary and cumulative impacts in the Mediterranean of marine plastic litter and climate change.

Ecosystem based management case studies were presented during the event. The meeting welcomed exchanges among Mediterranean stakeholders – managers, policymakers, socioeconomic actors, civil society and the scientific community, and highlighted processes to ensure their active engagement, allowing for a balance between ecological, economic, and social aspects.