30 September 2020 virtual
Summit on Biodiversity

In resolution A/RES/73/234, adopted on 20 December 2018, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) decided “to convene a summit on biodiversity at the level of Heads of State and Government, within existing resources,” ahead of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 15), “in order to highlight the urgency of action at the highest levels in support of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework that contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and places the global community on a path towards realizing the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity”.

The Summit will seek to provide political direction and momentum to the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. 

The UN's website for the Summit notes that the theme of the event is 'Urgent action on biodiversity for sustainable development'. It notes that, in addition to the originally envisioned focus and purpose of the Summit, “the COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of the relationship between people and nature…. An investment in the health of our planet is an investment in our own future.”

The Summit will take place as part of the UN's high-level week, on the margins of the UN General Assembly's 75th general debate, on 30 September 2020. Previously, resolution 74/269, adopted on 31 March 2020, had called for the Summit on Biodiversity to take place from 22-23 September 2020. It was rescheduled as part of the readjustment of the calendar of high-level meetings in light of COVID-19 and restrictions on in-person meetings.

The Summit will consist of an opening segment, a plenary segment for general discussion, two leaders dialogues and a brief closing segment and that the overall theme of the summit will be “Urgent action on biodiversity for sustainable development”. The leaders dialogues will address: biodiversity loss and mainstreaming biodiversity for sustainable development; and harnessing science, technology and innovation, capacity-building, access and benefit-sharing, financing and partnerships for biodiversity.

The concept note and summit programme were issued on 10 August 2020.

date: 30 September 2020
venue: UN Headquarters
location: virtual
www: https://www.unenvironment.org/events/un-day/un-general-assembly-75-leaders-biodiversity-summit




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