BIODEV2030 mobilized at the IUCN World Conservation Congress

Based on the first stages of BIODEV2030 in the pilot countries (scientific diagnosis of threats and selection of priority economic sectors on the basis of their impact on biodiversity and their contribution to the country's development), this session illustrated the mobilization of private sector players. Their testimonials demonstrated their shared determination to move towards commitments whose effects are measurable at the level of the sectors involved. The 6 speeches demonstrated the avenues for concrete commitments in a variety of sectors, including fishing, mining, forestry and coastal zone management.

This high-level political session - attended by the environment ministers of Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger, the deputy environment minister of Kenya and the deputy CEO of AFD - provided an opportunity to examine the political and technical challenges and opportunities of BIODEV2030 in Africa. Panelists from Mozambique, Tunisia and Senegal had the opportunity to present concrete commitments, while those fromUganda and Kenya reaffirmed their countries' political support for the project, which is at the heart of a set of strategic arrangements aimed at redefining the links between societies and natural resources for the Post2020 agenda.

This virtual session focused on the implementation of BIODEV2030 in Fiji, and discussed the state of biodiversity and the main factors of erosion in the archipelago. Panelists presented the project's approach, an innovative tool not only for assessing threats to biodiversity, but also for sharing experiences and challenges in integrating its protection into the country's economic development strategies. The players testified to how BIODEV2030 is a powerful tool in support of Fiji's environmental laws.

Throughout the day of September 08, 43 people involved in the BIODEV2030 project took part in a strategy game, the aim of which was to reflect on the effective integration of biodiversity conservation by the private sector. To achieve this, participants role-played the conditions of a strategic negotiation between government agencies, political decision-makers, companies, local communities, NGOs, donors and scientists around the mining and forestry sectors. The workshop was an excellent opportunity for skill-building and community-building, as government and private sector representatives, together with all the project's technical assistants, were confronted with the difficulties encountered in the pilot countries, and tried to collectively think of strategies to overcome the bottlenecks.

This high point testified to the institutional commitments of the countries involved in the BIODEV2030 project, and their determination to see it live beyond its current temporal and geographical limits. Speakers unanimously agreed that integrating biodiversity into economic sectors is an essential priority, and that environmental protection must be seen as a lever for development. France reiterated its diplomatic ambition to make the protection of biodiversity one of the main pillars in achieving its development objectives. As the UEMOA representative emphasized, the demographic, economic, energy, climate, fiscal and democratic transitions underway in the world must spur us to act quickly, following the example of Madagascar, whose three identified sectors are ready to commit to reconciling biodiversity and development.