Cop15 Summit: DRC Drops Objections to Deal on Landmark Biodiversity Work | Policeman 15

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A once-in-a-decade deal to stop the destruction of Earth’s ecosystems finally won full support at Cop15 in Montreal on Monday after the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) dropped its opposition.

Earlier on Monday, Yves Paziba, DRC’s environment minister, threatened to cast doubt on the integrity of the landmark United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity just hours after it was signed, when the head of a Chinese summit brushed off her country’s objections to the text and forced it to agree to it.

Speaking to the Guardian on Monday morning, Pazipa said she had not backed the deal because of the incident, raising doubts about taking action on targets to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030, and fix $500bn (£410bn) in subsidies. environmentally harmful. , and urgent action on extinction. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, home to much of the rainforest in the Congo Basin.

We didn’t accept it. “We didn’t have an agreement,” she said. The objection raised the possibility of legal challenges to the process, a potentially disastrous consequence of taking action on biodiversity loss.

But on Monday evening, before the final plenary session, China’s Cop15 chair, Huang Runqiu, approached Pazipa to shake her hand in an apparent apology — to applause from the entire Palais des congrès conference room — and later delivered a speech in which she congratulated China’s environment minister on the deal, acknowledging her clearance. DRC concerns about funding will be recorded as part of the Cop’s final report.

#Cop15 President Huang Ronqiu enters the plenary session and shakes hands with the Minister of the Environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo @Evebazaiba

I think that was the moment when it was finally agreed beyond 2020. Plenary applause.

Merry Christmas everyone pic.twitter.com/fubDSpTZ94

— Patrick Greenfield (@pgreenfielduk) December 19, 2022

This came after intense negotiations in plenary among the three major rainforest nations – Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – which signed a cooperation agreement in the G20 last month to preserve them, dubbed the “Rainforest OPEC”.

The head of the Brazilian delegation, Leonardo Clever de Athaidi, could be heard encouraging the DRC minister to soften her opposition to the agreement in a group session. Once convinced, they posed with the lead Indonesian negotiator, holding hands and smiling.

Pazipa’s initial objections to the agreement are supported by civil society groups in the DRC, who are calling for more money for conservation.

We are confident that the DRC government will implement the agreement, securing important rainforests in Central Africa and securing indigenous territorial rights. However, we support DRC’s call for more Financial support, structured in such a way as to allow indigenous people access to funds. This has proven to be very difficult with the current funding mechanisms.”

Find out more Age of Extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features.

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