The ambitions of the United Nations-led Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) should be in harmony with the unique circumstances of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), says Vice President Faisal Naseem.
He said this in a video message he delivered at the UN 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15).
As such, VP Naseem stated that the Maldives is a founding member of "Political Vision: The 10 Point Plan for Financing Biodiversity," as SIDS is at the frontlines of the triple planetary crisis, including biodiversity loss.
Led by Maldives alongside Ecuador, Gabon, and the United Kingdom (UK), the plan urges governments to join hands to support ambitious action for nature and support its protection, conservation, restoration as well as sustainable use.
We are large ocean states owing to the outstandingly rich biodiversity in our coastal and marine ecosystems," he said. "While we look to adopt the Global Biodiversity Framework in a few days, it is imperative to be pragmatic and to ensure the correct means of implementation towards halting and reversing biodiversity loss."Vice President Faisal Naseem
VP Naseem also called on the people to ensure that nature survives and that, as humans, we are responsible for the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of lives within these ecosystems.
The Vice President went on to stress on the need to remain within the safe limits of the planetary boundaries and called on the global community to work together towards living in harmony with nature.
COP15 is taking place in Montreal, Canada, from December 7 – 19.
The GBF sets targets and milestones for governments to meet by the end of the decade to protect the world's oceans and land, reduce pesticide use, eliminate plastic waste, and increase financial resources dedicated to biodiversity.
