22 October 2012: Held from 8-19 October 2012, in Hyderabad, India, the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted 33 decisions on a range of strategic, substantive, administrative, financial and budgetary issues. Delegates agreed to set an interim target of doubling biodiversity-related international financial resource flows to developing countries by 2015, and at least maintaining this level until 2020. This is coupled with targets on improving baseline information, as well as a preliminary reporting framework for monitoring resource mobilization.

Among other issues, the meeting addressed: the status of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS); implementation of the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and progress towards the Aichi biodiversity targets; and implementation of the Strategy for Resource Mobilization.

Deliberations also focused on: issues related to financial resources and the financial mechanism; cooperation, outreach and the UN Decade on Biodiversity; operations of the Convention; and administrative and budgetary matters. In addition, delegates addressed: ecosystem restoration; Article 8(j) (traditional knowledge); island biodiversity; marine and coastal biodiversity; biodiversity and climate change; biodiversity and development; and several other ecosystem-related and cross-cutting issues.

According to the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, the meeting will probably be remembered for its intense, down-to-the-wire negotiations on financial issues, including targets for implementation of the Strategy for Resource Mobilization, and the budget, with a compromise agreement reached in the early hours of Saturday, 20 October 2012. To tackle unfinished business from Nagoya, the agreement sets an interim target of doubling biodiversity-related international financial resource flows to developing countries by 2015, and at least maintaining this level until 2020. This is coupled with targets aiming to improve the robustness of baseline information as well as a preliminary reporting framework for monitoring resource mobilization. CBD COP 12 will review progress, with a view to adopting the final target for resource mobilization. [IISD RS Coverage of CBD COP 11] [Meeting Website]