Kenya’s Principal Secretary Dr. Festus K. Ng’eno Meets Delegation at COP 16 in Cali, Colombia
October 28, 2024, Cali, Colombia – Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Eng. Festus K. Ng’eno, met with the Kenyan delegation at the ongoing 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia. This year’s UN Biodiversity Conference, hosted by Colombia under the theme "Peace with Nature," seeks to address Biodiversity issues through the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), a milestone plan to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2050.
The Kenyan delegation is led by Dr. Ng'eno, supported by Ms. Linda Kosgei from the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, and includes representatives from the following institutions:
- Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry
- National Environment Management Authority (NEMA)
- National Museums of Kenya (NMK)
- Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)
- National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI)
- National Biosafety Authority (NBA)
- University of Nairobi
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- Seed Savers Network
- Global Youth Biodiversity Network
During the meeting, Dr. Ng'eno emphasized Kenya’s need for strong representation on agenda items that align with national priorities. These include the establishment of a multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism for genetic resources, mobilization of the $700 billion annual biodiversity finance needed to meet GBF targets, and mechanisms for planning, monitoring, and reviewing biodiversity progress. Biosafety and the identification of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) are also among Kenya’s areas of focus.
Kenya’s delegation updated the Principal Secretary on key discussions concerning the CBD, the Nagoya Protocol on access and equitable benefit-sharing, and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety related to transboundary movement. The team represents a diverse group of state and non-state actors, youth, and academia, united by a commitment to making substantial contributions towards the COP16 agenda.
Dr. Ng’eno praised the delegation’s dedication, highlighting COP16 as an opportunity for Kenya and the global community to enact transformative changes for biodiversity conservation.
In recognition of Kenya’s efforts to promote biodiversity data-sharing on the national Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM), the national Clearing House desk officer Mr. Joseph Masinde announced that Kenya will receive a CHM award for its achievements.
The High-Level Segment of COP16, scheduled from October 29-30, is anticipated to secure political commitment for advancing critical international agreements on biodiversity finance, digital sequence information, and biodiversity monitoring frameworks.
