Elizabeth Mrema Outlines Expected Gains Of COP15 Montreal Meeting

<strong><em>Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity</em></strong>

OKAFOR MOSES CHINEDU

Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, has outlined what to expect as the nations of the world converge on Montreal, Canada for the Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (Part Two), which holds from 7 – 19 December 2022.

While taking part in the UN Biodiversity COP 15 media briefing held recently, Mrema, who hails from Tanzania said that “In less than a month, the world will congregate here in Montreal, QC, Canada, to agree on an ambitious and transformative global biodiversity framework that will actually set a path to achieve our 2050 vision of their convention, which is living in harmony with nature.”

Emphasising on the need for the COP15, Mrema said that “Clearly, the world is crying out for change, watching its government seek to heal our relationship with the nature or with the planet.

“It is estimated that over at least 90% of the ecosystems worldwide has been altered to date over a million species are currently threatened with extinction. Monitored wildlife populations has dropped a staggering level, up to 69% since 1970, and these are recent studies from a PBS and WWF Living Planet report.  So, the writing is on the wall. The scientists have been very clear our planet is in crisis.

“And will continue to fill these effects of this crisis. The events and disasters continue to increase more and more, but we’ll also see true change when biodiversity loss is addressed at all levels by all of society. Urgent governments approach. And this is where the post 2020 global biodiversity framework will guide us all.

“But the global biodiversity framework is still crucial to ensure that the future of humankind on planet earth is sustained,” the diplomat said.