Convention on Biological Diversity

Synthetic Biology and the Convention on Biological Diversity

mcalderon October 13, 2012 0 Comments

Synthetic biology: What is it? Why does it matter? And why are some countries and NGOs pushing for this discussion at COP11? by Mariana Calderon On Thursday in Working Group 2, during a seemingly innocuous discussion on Operations of the Convention, a relatively heated discussion caught my attention--delegates were debating a topic buried under agenda item 6.2 of the COP: Synthetic...

COP11 Policy Round Up no. 1

mcalderon October 12, 2012 0 Comments

Policy updates from day four of the Conference by Mariana Calderon This morning, now the fifth day of the conference, I realized that there is no way I can follow everything I am interested in, nor everything that I see as most crucial to follow. Took me a while...However, with the help of the marvelous Earth Negotiation Bulletins, and by attending the CBD Alliance briefings and GYBN daily...

Video Blog: Youth briefing with Executive Secretary Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias

mcalderon October 11, 2012 0 Comments

by Mariana Calderon This morning, GYBN was able to meet with CBD Executive Secretary Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias: **Note -- two self-corrections, as I wasn't able to re-record: 1) Obviously, I'm reporting on COP 11, not 10; 2) The existing voluntary fund is for ILCs -- Indigenous and Local Communities, not LDCs. Video Blog: Youth meeting with CBD Executive Secretary,...

Youth Statement on Stakeholder Engagement

mcalderon October 10, 2012 0 Comments

by Mariana Calderon During the opening ceremonies of the COP, the Global Youth Biodiversity Network was scheduled to deliver a youth intervention, but, like many other observers, we were pushed so far down the schedule by lengthy State speeches that our moment to speak never came. So, we decided to create our own opportunity. I spent much of today drafting a statement on item 5.4, Engagement of...

Day 2 of Working Group 2: Financing Biodiversity

mcalderon October 10, 2012 0 Comments

How to finance biodiversity, or, how parties will talk about it for a very long time by Mariana Calderon Working Group II -- Financial Resources and Mechanism: Day two of COP 11 to the Convention on Biological Diversity--my first day at the conference venue--opened rather earnestly, with scores of delegates still registering, picking up their complementary messenger bags and water bottles, and...