A delegation from the Ministry of the Environment accompanied by members of civil society organizations is taking part in Montreal in the 15th meeting of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (December 7 to 18, 2022), which brings together authorities, experts and representatives of organizations from all over the world.

Crucially important for the planet, the main objective of the Conference is to adopt the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, with an ambitious agenda that aims to achieve by 2030 and 2050, to take urgent action across society to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and to ensure fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, in order to put biodiversity on the path to recovery by 2030 and achieve, by 2050, the shared vision of living in harmony with nature.

Throughout COP15, the Haitian delegation will have to discuss, negotiate and defend its positions in relation to its national priorities for the conservation of biodiversity in general and its own in particular.

Indeed, the small island states of the Caribbean, particularly Haiti, are very vulnerable to the loss of their biodiversity caused in particular by climate change, invasive alien species and the fragmentation and loss of habitats, placing the biological diversity of island ecosystems as "among the most endangered in the world".

During this summit, Haiti will have to argue and convince to obtain international collaboration and support in order to prevent the introduction of species and control or eradicate invasive alien species that threaten ecosystems or endemic and native species.

Haiti will highlight the importance of resource mobilization, financial planning and the availability of adequate resources for small island countries from traditional and innovative financial flows to support the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework by the through national biodiversity strategies and action plans.

To this end, Haiti will support Africa's call for a Global Biodiversity Fund that is both flexible and complementary to the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Lack of capacity at the national level will be one of the challenges facing small island states in the Caribbean. Haiti will advocate for capacity building and development, technical and scientific cooperation and technology transfer for the benefit of small countries.

In summary, Haiti will plead during this summit on the urgent need to conserve terrestrial, coastal and marine biodiversity, the fight against invasive alien species, the mobilization of resources and capacity building.

Hl/ HaitiLibre