Countdown to CBD COP15: Landmark Leaders Event for a Nature Positive World

Securing an agreement to save our life support systems

20 September 2022 (Tentative)

19.00 (EST)

Location: WCS’s Central Park Zoo (VVIPs and VIPsTICKET ONLY)
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Over 100 countries kick-off unprecedented action to protect at least 30% of the Planet by 2030 ahead of COP15

Firm commitment by countries to boost ongoing negotiations

NEW YORK, NY (September 22, 2022) - Moving from endorsement to action, the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC N&P) announced last Tuesday, September 20th, that its members will work together to ease the implementation of the ambitious global target aiming at protecting or conserving at least 30% of the Planet’s land and ocean by 2030 as soon as the forthcoming global biodiversity framework is adopted.

At the Countdown to COP15: Landmark Leaders’ Event for a Nature-Positive World event on the margins of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, Minister André Tinoco on behalf of President Rodrigo Chaves Robles of Costa Rica, the co-chairs Mrs Bérangère Couillard, French Minister of state in charge of Ecology, Hon. Lord Zac Goldsmith, the UK Minister for Asia, Energy, Climate and Environment at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on behalf of the United Kingdom, and the members of the coalition have agreed to maintain a focus on the “30x30” target beyond COP15 and support its implementation via a new phase of the Coalition, known as HAC 2.0.

While still working to ensure that the 30x30 target is enshrined in a global agreement this December in Montreal at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15), the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People is committing to support countries with concrete actions to establish new protected or conserved areas and improve the management of existing protected or conserved areas, as well as other effective conservation measures (OECMs). The Coalition is also committed to continue its permanent work with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities representatives to achieve the 30x30 target, recognizing the crucial role that they play in safeguarding nature and the importance of ensuring that protected and conserved areas align with human rights and wellbeing for people as well as biodiversity.

This Coalition affirmed that implementing the 30x30 target will be a priority. It unveiled a new structure and plan for how countries will work together. This approach will include capacity building, sharing best practices, mapping and matching fundings for 30x30 countries and projects, and providing scientific and technical support to help countries determine where and how to prioritize new conservation projects.

“This effort is essential to address the rampant loss of nature which poses a serious threat to the health and safety of all living species, and is one of the greatest systemic risks to our economies. This reflects the overwhelming agreement around the world on the importance of this ‘30x30’ target and underscores that taking concrete action can’t be delayed if we are to address biodiversity crisis that threatens up to one million species with extinction” said Mr. Arnoldo André Tinoco, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica.

“We need to convert biodiversity financial resources into action. That’s why we want the new HAC 2.0 to be a flexible platform connecting 30x30 projects managers and donors. This is a concrete way to implement the forthcoming global biodiversity framework. ” said Mrs Bérangère Couillard, French Minister of State in charge of Ecology.

“I am so pleased that this exceptionally important initiative has been launched today. With a short period of time until 2030, it is absolutely essential that we are able to support the implementation of ambitious new targets as soon as they are adopted after COP15. We have no time to lose. HAC 2.0 will help ensure this is possible.” Said Lord Goldsmith, UK Minister for Asia, Energy, Climate and Environment at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The HAC was launched in January 2021 to advocate for the World to adopt the new science-based 30x30 target. Over 100 countries have since joined this intergovernmental coalition to ensure this target becomes a foundation of the global nature agreement that countries are set to finalize this December.

The most recent scientific contributions to the 6th assessment report of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) on “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability”, further underscore the importance of the 30x30 target: the effective ecosystem conservation of approximately 30% to 50% of lands and oceans will be important to halt biodiversity loss, build ecosystem resilience but also tackle climate change by benefiting from nature’s capacity to absorb and store carbon.

Press Release

First Ministerial Meeting of the International Steering Committee for the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People takes place on the margins of UNGA 77 to drive forward the implementation of the 30x30 target

 

Official Communiqué

10th, October 2022.

 

This communiqué summarizes the first ministerial in-person meeting of the International Steering Committee for the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC for N&P). The meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Arnoldo André, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, H.E. Bérangère Couillard, Ministry of State for Ecology from France, and Hon. Lord Zac Goldsmith, Minister for Asia, Energy, Climate and Environment of the United Kingdom. It was held in-person in New York City on the margins of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 77), last September 22nd, 2022. The meeting was held just two days after the HAC for N&P officially launched the next phase of the coalition’s work, referred to as HAC 2.0, at a high-level event that included heads of states and other government leaders and other relevant stakeholders.

 

The HAC for N&P, co-chaired by Costa Rica, France and the United Kingdom, is an intergovernmental science-based coalition of more than 100 countries that has been at the center of recent international negotiations at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Since officially launching at the One Planet Summit in January 2021, the coalition has worked to ensure the approval of a target to protect and conserve at least 30% of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030, known as the 30x30 target, within the CBD Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The coalition remains committed to achieving this ambitious outcome at the fifteenth Conference of Parties (COP15) in Montréal.

 

The HAC for N&P co-chairs recognize the value and strength of this intergovernmental coalition and have held ministerial level discussions amongst several countries of the coalition to determine what role the coalition should play in addition to supporting the agreement of a 30x30 target, particularly in implementing it once the Framework is adopted. Members expressed strong interest in keeping the coalition together and working beyond CBD COP15 to support achieving this target.

 

To formalize this next phase of work for the coalition, the HAC for N&P has established an International Steering Committee, developed a roadmap for its collective work, and has agreed to form a Secretariat that will support the development of the 4 main objectives of the HAC 2.0 which include: maintaining political engagement; sharing best practices and knowledge for protected areas,  and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), including mutual collaboration and dialogue with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs); establishing partnerships to help provide technical support; and helping countries identify and pursue available funding.

 

Ministers and High-level representatives from Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Gabon, Germany, Japan, Maldives, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America attended the meeting. The ministers and high-level representatives in attendance today approved the coalition’s next steps.

 

The Ministers and high-level representatives officials also held a fruitful dialogue with international philanthropies that are supporting implementation of the 30x30 global target. This segment of the meeting was co-facilitated by Hon. Lord Zac Goldsmith and Mr. Cristián Samper, Managing Director and Leader of Nature Solutions of the Bezos Earth Fund and included several philanthropies that launched the Protecting our Planet Challenge in 2021, which pledged US$5 billion to help implement 30x30, marking the largest private funding commitment ever made to biodiversity conservation.  High-level representatives from philanthropic organizations such as Bezos Earth Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, Oceans 5, Rainforest Trust, RE:WILD, the Pew Charitable Trust and Patagonia, participated at the meeting.

 

Peter Lallas, Advisor, conflict resolution commissioner from the Global Environment Facility (the GEF), Craig Hanson, Managing Director and Executive Vice President for Programs of the World Resources Institute (WRI) and Brian O’Donnell, Director of Campaign for Nature (CfN) also participated at the meeting as strategic partners of the HAC 2.0.

 

Governments and philanthropists agreed to work together as the HAC for N&P moves to the next phase of its work. Several philanthropies pledged to financially support the HAC 2.0 structure and activities, and all governments and philanthropies agreed that more funding from all sources will be needed for 30x30 implementation efforts to be fully successful.

 

Finally, many philanthropists expressly indicated their interest and immediate availability to finance the structure of HAC 2.0.

 

Following the official launch of HAC 2.0, the structure, roadmap and main functions of the initiative and its Secretariat have been duly approved. Political commitment at the highest level will be maintained both in international negotiations and in the implementation of this global target, which scientists have clearly stated is needed to help stop the loss of biodiversity and address climate change and desertification, with the ultimate goal of living in harmony with nature by 2050.

 

More information on the HAC for N&P, including the HAC 2.0 implementation phase will be included on the website at: HAC for Nature and People.

“The first ministerial meeting of the International Steering Committee laid the foundations for the construction and operationalization of the HAC 2.0, which allows the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People and its 100+ countries, to work together on the implementation to actually deliver at least 30% protection of land and ocean by 2030, this next phase would focus on implementation of the 30x30 having as central partners indigenous peoples and local communities, and joining efforts and cooperation with international philanthropists, civil society, private sector, and the academia amongst others, to halt biodiversity loss and address climate change and desertification” said H.E. Arnoldo André Tinoco, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica.

“The HAC nature and people is the biggest biodiversity coalition in the international arena. We need to make use of this political will to create the concrete conditions to protecting at least 30% of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030 as soon as the forthcoming global biodiversity framework is adopted. That’s why we want the new HAC 2.0 to be a flexible platform connecting “’30x30” projects managers and donors.” said H.E. Bérangère Couillard, French Minister of State in charge of Ecology.

“It is absolutely essential that we are able to support the implementation of ambitious new targets  as soon as they are adopted after COP15. We have no time to lose. HAC 2.0 will help ensure this is possible for the 30 by 30 target and this first ministerial meeting shows political will is very much behind this fantastic initiative” said Hon. Lord Zac Goldsmith, Minister for Asia, Energy, Climate and Environment of the United Kingdom.

Official Communique

The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC for N&P), the Global Ocean Alliance (GOA), the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature (LPN) are organising a high-level event in the margins of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. Government leaders and partners will present a refreshed ambition for nature and people on ocean and land and showcase key actions in support of a comprehensive approach to finance, including resource mobilization from all sources in order to achieve an equitable and Nature Positive world by 2030.

The ambition and announcements will demonstrate the highest level of commitment from leaders to secure an ambitious global biodiversity framework (GBF) at COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to take place in December 2022 in Montreal under the China Presidency and ensure its immediate, inclusive and effective implementation.

Event Objectives

  • To build momentum ahead of CBD COP15 on the importance of securing an ambitious and transformative Post 2020 GBF that commits to reversing biodiversity loss to secure a nature positive world by 2030, including the adoption of the target to conserve and protect at least 30% of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030, transforming the economy and key productive sectors currently destroying nature.

  • To demonstrate progress and take stock of previous commitments take on achievements and progress on delivering past announcements.

  • To renew commitments from leaders by pledging new actions to deliver on the objectives of the LPN, HAC for N&P and GOA, in particular around finance for nature and people, including resource mobilization from all sources, in support of impactful implementation of the GBF.

Hosts and co-sponsors:

The event is led by a cross regional group of countries including Bhutan, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, European Union, France, Gabon, Germany, Nigeria, United Kingdom, United States of America as well as their partners: BirdLife International, Business for Nature, Capitals Coalition, Club of Rome, Conservation International (CI), Enduring Earth, Finance for Biodiversity Pledge, Global Commons Alliance, Global Environment Facility (GEF), International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), National Geographic & Campaign for Nature, Nature 4 Life Hub, Nature Positive by 2030 Campaign, Planetary Emergency Partnership, The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Additional hosts and partners to be added.

Participants

Heads of State and Government representing a diverse range of regions will be the primary participants, and Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Environment, Finance will be welcomed. The UN Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly as well as the current and incoming CBD, UNFCCC and UNCCD COP Presidencies will be invited, as well as representatives of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), youth-focused organizations, businesses, as well as from civil society organizations. Heads of UN entities, High-level representatives from multilateral development banks, financial institutions and foundations, are also invited.

Format of the event

The event will be in person in New York with a webcast option for viewers. It will take place on Tuesday 20 September 2022 from 7:00p.m. - 10:00p.m. (tbc). In person participation in New York is foreseen. The event will be moderated by a High-Level leader and Heads of State and Government and partners will give short statements or take part in live panels focused on significant, concrete and ambitious actions and announcements to achieve and finance an equitable and nature positive world by 2030 and support the effective implementation of the CBD post-2020 GBF. The event will also include an interactive segment as well as statements/interventions from the private sector, financial institutions, and other non-state actors. Videos showcasing significant nature positive actions will be included.

Background

This High Level event comes at a key moment when the world is faced with multiple crises, including biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, food insecurity and recovering from COVID-19. Failing to deliver these ambitious decisions is simply not an option. UNGA-77 is a key milestone ahead of CBD COP15 to build upon the compelling evidence* and accelerate efforts, including as part of: the Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and high level commitments made over the past years such as the 2020 UN Summit on Biodiversity, the Kunming CBD COP15.1.

This event seeks to build on previous LPN/HAC/GOA events such as the LPN event hosted in association with Stockholm +50 “Financing the transition to a Nature Positive Future” as well as the event co-hosted by the GOA and HAC at the UN Ocean Conference, titled “Driving Positive Ocean Action: The Challenges and Opportunities of Sustainable Finance for 30by30 and Blue Economies and the recent joint statement to step up global ambition to address the interdependent crises of biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation and climate change, on the occasion of the High-Level Meeting “Moment for Nature”.

Despite ambitious high-level commitments including through the LPN, HAC and GOA, more is needed to translate them into key decisions for nature, including the negotiations of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at the CBD COP15 in Montreal under the Presidency of China.

The stakes could not be higher, and the current decade is decisive. Failure for nature will mean failure for multiple agendas from climate to security and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and failure to secure continuity of all life on earth. In view of the urgency, leaders’ continued ambition and resolve to accelerate efforts is key to success.

Types of significant announcements and actions to be showcased

Event organizers are seeking in particular significant and action-oriented announcements and actions in the areas of domestic financing, international financing and private/blended and innovative financing, including blue finance, in line with equitably transitioning to a nature-positive economy and world, as well as progress on delivering past commitments. These will need to directly demonstrate how they will support the implementation of an ambitious and transformational global biodiversity framework.

Concept Note

6:00PM Welcome Reception (In person - by invitation only) & Pre-event livestream segment TBC

7:00-7:15PM Opening Segment on the biodiversity crisis and the urgent case for a nature positive world

Ms. Andrea Meza (Master of Ceremonies) - Deputy Executive Secretary, UN Convention to Combat Desertification

  • H.E. Mr. Rodrigo Alberto Chaves Robles - President of Costa Rica

  • H.E. The Rt. Hon. Mr. Justin Trudeau - Prime Minister of Canada (TBC)

  • Ms. Jennifer Tauli Corpuz - International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIBF), Caucus of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities at the CBD and adviser to the COP15

7:15-7:51PM Leaders’ Landmark Call to Save our Life Support Systems and Achieve a Nature Positive World by 2030

  • H.E. Gustavo Petro - President of Colombia

  • H.E. Mr. Guillermo Lasso - President of Ecuador

  • H.E. Mr. Frans Timmermans - Executive Vice President of the European Commission

    Also including statements from:

  • H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres - UN Secretary General

  • H.E. Mr. Huang Runqiu - President of the COP15 and Minister of Ecology and Environment of China

  • A joint call from world leaders

7:51-8:35PM Panel on Conserving Restoring and Sustainably Using Nature

Ms. Monica Medina (Moderator) Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs of the USA

  • H.E. Mr. Lee White, CBE, Minister of Water, Forests, the Sea and Environment, Gabon

  • Ms. Razan al Mubarak - IUCN President

  • Mr. Cristian Sampér - CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society on behalf of the Protect our Planet Challenge

  • Ms. Valérie Courtois - Director, Indigenous Leadership Initiative, a partner with Enduring Earth in the Indigenous-led PFP proposal in NWT, Canada

8:35-8:42PM Leaders’ Landmark Call to Save our Life Support Systems and Achieve a Nature Positive World by 2030 (cont.)

  • H.E Mr. Olaf Scholz - Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

  • H.E. Dr. Lotay Tshering - Prime Minister of Bhutan

  • H.E. Ms. Jacinda Ardern - Prime Minister and Minister for National Security and Intelligence, Child Poverty Reduction, and Ministerial Services of New Zealand

8:42-9:25PM Panel on Greening and Bluing Finance and Financing Green and Blue

Ms. Usha Rao Monari (Moderator) - Associate Administrator, United Nations Development Programme

Keynote video from H.E. Ms. Ursula von der Leyen - President of the European Commission

  • Ms. Carole Laible - CEO of Domini Impact Investments on behalf of the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge

  • Mr. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez - President and CEO, Global Environment Facility

  • Mr. Ambroise Fayolle - Vice President, European Investment Bank

  • Ms. Lisa Martin - GSK Chief Procurement Officer

    Closing remarks by H.E. Ms. Bérangère Couillard - Minister of State for Ecology of France

Leaders’ Landmark Call to Save our Life Support Systems and Achieve a Nature Positive World by 2030 (cont.)

Including statements from:

  • The Rt. Hon. Mr. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Prime Minister and Minister for iTaukei Affairs, Sugar Industry, Foreign Affairs and Forestry of the Republic of Fiji

  • H.E. Mr. Anthony Albanese, MP, Prime Minister of Australia

  • H.E. Mr. Sauli Niinistö - President of the Republic of Finland

  • A joint message from Non State Actor Leaders

9:25-9:35PM Closing Segment

Ms. Andrea Meza (Master of Ceremonies) - Deputy Executive Secretary, UN Convention to Combat Desertification

  • Ms. Inger Andersen - Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme

  • Ms. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema - Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity

  • The Rt. Hon. Lord Zac Goldsmith - Minister of State, The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, United Kingdom

9:35-10PM Reception (In person - by invitation only)

Featured speakers:

  • Master of Ceremony, Ms. Andrea Meza, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNCCD

  • H.E. Mrs. Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission

  • H.E. Mr. Gustavo Petro, President of the Republic of Colombia

  • H. E. Mr. Rodrigo Chaves Robles, President of Costa Rica

  • H.E. Mr. Guillermo Lasso, President of Ecuador (TBC)

  • H.E. Rt. Hon. Mr. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada (2 minutes) (TBC)

  • H.E. Mr. Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (TBC)

  • H.E. Dr. Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of Bhutan

  • H.E. Ms Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand

  • H.E. Mr. Huang Runqiu, President of the COP15 and Minister of Ecology and Environment of China – TBC

  • H.E. Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

  • H.E. Mr. Frans Timmermans, Vice President of the European Union

  • H.E. Ms. Monica Medina, Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs of the USA

  • H.E. Mr. Lee White, CBE, Minister of Water, Forests, the Sea and Environment, Gabon

  • The Rt. Hon. Lord Zac Goldsmith - Minister of State, The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, United Kingdom

  • The Rt. Hon. Mr. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Prime Minister and Minister for iTaukei Affairs, Sugar Industry, Foreign Affairs and Forestry of the Republic of Fiji

  • Ms. Jennifer Tauli Corpuz, International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), caucus of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities at the CBD and adviser to the COP15

  • Ms. Valérie Courtois, Director, Indigenous Leadership Initiative, Enduring Earth Canada NWT Deal Team

  • Other confirmed speakers include, UNEP, CBD, European Investment Bank, GSK, GEF, Finance for Biodiversity Pledge, IUCN, Protect our Planet Challenge

  • NB: A limited number of interventions may be in video format

Program

Speaker Bios

Ms. Andrea Meza (Master of Ceremonies) - Deputy Executive Secretary, UN Convention to Combat Desertification

Andrea Meza is the Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Before her current position she served in the Government of Costa Rica, as Minister of Energy and Environment and as Climate Change Director. She has also worked as international consultant for more than 15 years with multilateral and bilateral agencies (IDB, World Bank, EU, GIZ, AECID) in the design and implementation of sustainable development policies and projects related to climate change, land conservation, management of protected areas, land use and transport planning in LAC region. She started her professional career working with an NGO in land conservation issues promoting conservation easements, payment of environmental services, and promoting the creation of private and community reserves in Latin America.

H.E. Mr. Rodrigo Chaves Robles - President of Costa Rica

He served as Minister of Finance of Costa Rica from November 2019 to May 2020. He is preceded by a 27-year career at the World Bank, where the last position he held was Country Director for Indonesia & Timor-Leste, from August 2013 to November 23, 2019. Mr. Chaves Robles is noted for his leadership of high-performing teams advising on transformative public policy. He has 30 years of macroeconomics, public policy and finance experience in over 40 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Asia and East Asia. He manages high profile business relationships with members of government, the private sector, the international community and civil society; efficient management of budgets and negotiations in complex public affairs. He is characterized by critical thinking, strategic and innovation skills. In his more than three decades of experience, he has developed analytical and operational work. He has implemented macro and microeconomic policies, including tax adequacy, quality of tax spending and fiscal spending, local public services, financial market development, private sector, entrepreneurship, credit and investment, and rural development. He headed the Financial Sector Assessment of Emerging Economies for the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Mr. Rodrigo A. Chaves Robles holds a PhD in Applied Economics and Financial Markets and Institutions from Ohio State University, and is an expert in macroeconomics, public macroeconomics, public policy, rural development and poverty reduction.

H.E. Rt. Hon. Mr. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Justin Trudeau is Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister. He has been the Prime Minister of Canada since November 2015 and the elected Leader of the Liberal Party since April 2013. Justin studied literature at McGill University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in 1994. He went on to complete the University of British Columbia’s education program, and spent several years teaching French, math, and other subjects in Vancouver. As Prime Minister, Justin is focused on creating good middle class jobs, making life more affordable, keeping Canada’s communities safe, fighting climate change, and moving forward on reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. A proud feminist, Justin appointed Canada’s first gender balanced Cabinet.

Ms. Jennifer Tauli Corpuz, International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIBF), Caucus of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities at the CBD and adviser to the COP15

Jennifer Tauli Corpuz, from the Kankana-ey Igorot Indigenous people in the Philippines, a lawyer by profession, is Managing Director for Policy at Nia Tero. She is a leader, negotiator and expert of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) on area-based conservation (30x30), access and benefit sharing, digital sequence information (DSI), and Indigenous peoples' rights. She is the former coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Policy Advocacy Program of Tebtebba – Indigenous Peoples’ International Center for Policy Research and Education. She was the 2012 Indigenous Intellectual Property Fellow at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and since then has participated in the WIPO IGC negotiations on the protection of traditional knowledge.

H.E. Mr. Gustavo Petro Urrego, President Colombia

President Gustavo Petro Urrego is an economist from the Universidad Externado de Colombia. He has a specialization in Public Administration from the Escuela Superior de Administración Pública of Colombia (ESAP), a Master's degree in Economics from Universidad Javeriana in Colombia, a specialization in Environment and Population Development from the Catholic University of Louvain and PhD studies in New Trends in Business Administration from the University of Salamanca, in Spain. He founded, together with the demobilized members of the peace process, the political party Alianza Democrática M-19, a movement that achieved great popular support and participated in the drafting of the 1991 Political Constitution of Colombia. With the support of this movement, Gustavo Petro became a member of the House of Representatives in. In 1994 he was appointed to the Colombian Embassy in Belgium as diplomatic attaché for Human Rights, a position he held until 1996. He returned to Colombia in 1998 and again ran for the House of Representatives with the endorsement of the Vía Alterna Movement, which he had founded together with other former members of the M-19 Party and was again elected Representative for the 2002- 2006 period. From 2006 to 2010, Gustavo Petro was Senator of the Republic, where he was elected the best congressman both by his colleagues and by the national press, thanks to his denunciations of corruption and his political control debates, including the one on paramilitarism in Antioquia. He was elected Mayor of Bogota for the 2012 to 2015 term, and in 2018 he was a Presidential candidate for the Significant Movement of Citizens - Colombia Humana, with a historic result of more than 8 million votes; having obtained the second highest vote in the presidential elections and making use, for the first time, of the Statute of the Opposition, he acted as Senator of the Republic for the period from 2018 to 2022. On June 19, 2022, he was chosen as President of the Republic of Colombia, together with Vice President Francia Márquez Mina.

H.E. Mr. Guillermo Lasso Mendoza, President of Ecuador

Guillermo Lasso Mendoza was born in Guayaquil on November 16, 1955. Being the last of 11 siblings, he worked in his adolescence to contribute financially to his home and finish his studies. From a young age, he always dreamed of promoting opportunities for Ecuadorians and of working to build a better Ecuador for all. His career, of more than 50 years of experience in the public and private sectors, has been marked by ideas of progress, and dedication to his country and his family. He has written two books: “Letters to my children” and “Another Ecuador is possible”, in which he expresses in each word the stages of his life and his political ideals, correspondingly. In addition, in 2011, he received an Honorary Doctorate from the Universidad de las Américas due to his professional career and achievements. He founded Ecuador Libre, a think tank that promotes individual liberty, justice, free markets, private property, and the rule of law. To serve the Ecuadorians, he founded the Creating Opportunities (CREO) party. In 2021, he won the Presidency after being a candidate in 2013 and 2017. The main objective of his mandate is to build the Ecuador of the Encounter, to generate opportunities for all Ecuadorians. His commitment and duty to citizens are established as the guide that will lead the way to a more democratic, peaceful, and free country for all.

H.E. Mr. Timmermann, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission

Frans Timmermans is Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, leading its work on the European Green Deal. He is responsible for the European Climate Law that put the 2050 climate-neutrality target into law and for the Fit for 55 package to meet the -55% emission reduction target for 2030. Frans Timmermans leads the EU’s international climate negotiations. In June, he presented the Nature Restoration Law, part of the Biodiversity Strategy. He also oversees the Commission’s zero-pollution ambition, the circular economy action plan, the Farm to Fork strategy and other initiatives. From 2014-2019 Timmermans was First Vice-President in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. In the Netherlands, he previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (2012-2014), Minister of European Affairs (2007-2010) and Member of Parliament for Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA) (2010-2012 and 1998-2007).

H.E. Mr António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations

The ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, took office on 1st January 2017. Previously, he served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015. Mr. Guterres spent more than 20 years in government and public service. He served as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, as President of the European Council in early 2000. Mr. Guterres is a member of the Club of Madrid, a leadership alliance of democratic former presidents and prime ministers from around the world.

Mr. Huang Runqiu, President of the Fifteenth Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity & Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China

He holds a PhD degree in engineering and the professional title of professor and PhD supervisor. Prior to joining the MEE, He was the vice president of Chengdu University of Technology and the vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Sichuan Provincial People’s Congress. He served as the vice minister of the Ministry of Environmental Protection (superseded by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in 2018) from March 2016 to April 2020. He has been committed to scientific research in areas of geological engineering and geological environmental protection. In 2018, he was awarded the Hans Cloos Medal by the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG).

Ms. Monica Medina, Assistant Secretary Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs

Previously, Assistant Secretary Medina was an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. She was also a Senior Associate on the Stephenson Ocean Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and CoFounder and Publisher of Our Daily Planet, an e-newsletter on conservation and the environment. A former Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, she served as General Counsel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.

H.E. Mr. Lee White, CBE, Minister of Water, Forests, the Sea and Environment of Gabon, charged with Climate Planning and Land-use

Professor Lee White is the Minister of Water, Forests, the Sea and Environment, in charge of Climate Planning and Land-use Plan (Gabon). He is also an honorary Professor at the University of Stirling and was awarded a CBE in 2011 for services to conservation in Central Africa. His career in the West and Central African forest belt spans 35 years. He has been Director of the Gabonese National Parks Agency for ten years, driving it’s development as a para-military force working alongside the army and the police to ensure sound governance of natural resources and to stop all forms of ivory trafficking, illegal fisheries, illegal gold mining and forestry as well as other forms of trafficking. Professor White holds a PhD on forestry’s impact on wildlife and climate change (Zoology) from the University of Edinburgh. As a scientist, he has published over 100 scientific articles and book chapters and authored and edited more than 15books on the ecology and conservation of the African rain forest. He has lived in Gabon for more than 30 years and became a Gabonese citizen in 2008.

Ms. Razan al Mubarak, President The International Union for Conservation of Nature

Razan Al Mubarak is a United Arab Emirates native who for more than twenty years has played a vital role in guiding her country toward a more sustainable future while spearheading progressive environmental protection and species conservation globally. Her diverse experience leading the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, the largest environmental regulatory agency in the Middle East, the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, an international philanthropic organization supporting species conservation projects worldwide, and Emirates Nature – WWF, a Dubai-based NGO focused on citizen engagement, earned her recognition as one of the top 100 Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum in 2018. In September 2021 at the World Conservation Congress in Marseille, France, Razan was elected president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Currently, as President of IUCN, Razan Al Mubarak is responsible for implementing the vision, mission, and strategy of the organization, which represents over 1,400 members, including states, government agencies and non-government organizations from 160 countries.

Mr. Cristián Samper, President & CEO, Wildlife Conservation Society

Cristián Samper has served as President & Chief Executive Officer of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) since August 2012. WCS is one the largest environmental non-profit organizations in the world, established in 1895 to save wildlife and wild places. Prior to joining WCS, Dr. Samper served as Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History for a decade, managing the largest museum collection in the world. He also served as Acting Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and Deputy Director of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. He was the founding director of the Alexander von Humboldt Institute, the national biodiversity research institute for Colombia. Dr. Samper served as chair of the Subsidiary Body of Scientific, Technical & Technological Advice of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity where he helped develop a global strategy for plant conservation and launched the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. He also served as a ViceChair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and as a member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). He is a member of the Council on Foreign Affairs and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Samper grew up in Colombia, studied Biology from the Universidad de Los Andes, and earned an MA and PhD from Harvard University where he was awarded the Derek C. Bok Award for Excellence in Teaching. Cristián is currently Principal Advisor for Nature at the Bezos Earth Fund. In October 2022, Dr. Samper will step down as WCS President & CEO to become the Managing Director and Leader of Nature Solutions at the Bezos Earth Fund.

Ms. Valérie Courtois, Director, Indigenous Leadership Initiative, a partner with Enduring Earth in the Indigenous-led PFP proposal in NWT, Canada

Valérie Courtois is a registered professional forester who specializes in Indigenous issues, forest ecology and ecosystem-based management and planning. She is a member of the Innu community of Mashteuiatsh, located on the shore of Peikuakami, or Lac-St-Jean, in what is now known as Québec. Courtois holds a degree in forestry sciences from the Université de Moncton. She has served as a forestry advisor for the Assembly of First Nations of Québec and Labrador, forestry planner for the Innu Nation, and as a consultant in Aboriginal forestry, including certification and spatial planning, and caribou planning. She has received numerous awards and recognitions for this work, including as a Labradorian of Distinction, a distinguished alumnus of the Forestry Faculty of the University of Moncton and most recently received an Honorary Doctorate in Laws (honoris causa) from the University of Guelph. Courtois has been the Director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative since 2013. In addition to her work in conservation and planning, Courtois is an avid photographer. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Corporation du Mushuau–nipi, a non-profit that encourages cultural and professional exchanges between Innu and other cultures on the George River. She lives in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador.

H.E. Mr. Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

Coming from northern Germany has been the Federal Chancellor of Germany since December 2021, leading the country's first "traffic light" coalition in Federal Government (the nickname is based on the parties’ colours). Olaf Scholz already knew the government district in Berlin well, having previously served as Federal Minister of Finance (2018-2021), Federal Minister for Labour and Social Affairs (2009-2011), and as a Member of the German Bundestag. He was also Hamburg’s First Mayor from 2011 until 2018. Olaf Scholz studied law and worked as a lawyer until 1998.

H.E. Lyonchhen Dr. Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan

Prime Minister of Kingdom of Bhutan since November 2019 and a practicing Urologist, consultant surgeon. He has an MBA from University of Canberra, Australia and is a Urology fellow of Wisconsin Medical College Hospital. Completed General Surgery from Dhaka University. Formerly worked as the head of surgical department and consultant surgeon at Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital and also headed His Majesty’s Medical Unit. Became the President of Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa, the ruling party in 2018. A recipient of His Majesty’s Druk Thuksey medal in 2017 and the prestigious Lungmar scarf in 2020 for outstanding effort to safeguard the country from COVID-19 pandemic including by heading His Majesty's Kidu Medical Unit.

H.E. Ms. Jacinda Ardern Timmermann, Prime Minister of New Zealand

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was born in the city of Hamilton, New Zealand, and grew up rurally. She attended high school before graduating from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Communication Studies in Politics and Public Relations. Postuniversity, she worked as an advisor in the office of then-Prime Minister Helen Clark, in London for the Government Cabinet Office and as an Assistant Director in the Department for Business and Enterprise, and on a review of Policing in England and Wales. The Prime Minister joined the New Zealand Labour Party at age 18 and entered New Zealand’s Parliament in 2008. Over her twelve years as a representative she has been a strong advocate for children, women, and the right of every New Zealander to have meaningful work. She became the MP for the Auckland electorate Mt Albert in early 2017, and the Leader of the Labour Party in August 2017. As well as Prime Minister, she holds the roles of Minister for National Security and Intelligence, and Minister for Child Poverty Reduction, an issue particularly close to her heart. She is also the Minister Responsible for Ministerial Services and Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage.

Ms. Usha Rao Monari, Associate Administrator United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Ms. Rao-Monari has over 30 years of investment experience and has held several senior positions, particularly in the infrastructure area. She previously served as Senior Adviser to Blackstone’s Infrastructure Group, as Chief Executive Officer of Global Water Development Partners, a Blackstone portfolio company, and held several senior positions, notably as Director of the Sustainable Business Advisory Group at the International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group. She has until recently served on the Boards of a number of organisations in the field of sustainable development and has held a number of Board and advisory positions in the areas of water, natural capital, biodiversity and environment. Ms. Rao-Monari holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Finance, School of International and Public Affairs/School of Business, Columbia University, New York, a Master’s degree in Management Studies, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, Mumbai, India and a B.A. Honors Economics, Delhi University, New Delhi.

H.E. Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

Ursula von der Leyen was Minister at federal level in Germany for more than 14 years and responsible for family, then labor and social affairs and later defence. In 2019, she was elected as President of the European Commission. As the head of the European executive, she has defined six headline ambitions for Europe for her mandate: a European Green Deal, a Europe fit for the digital age, an economy that works for people, a stronger Europe in the world, promoting our European way of life, and a new push for European democracy.

CEO Ms Carole Laible, CEO of Domini Impact Investments

Carole Laible is the CEO of Domini Impact Investments. She has over twenty years of impact investing experience, having joined Domini in 1997. Ms. Laible has spearheaded Domini’s pioneering work on systems-level issues and stability. This systems approach includes the Domini Forest Project, which recognizes that forests provide significant value to investors, corporations, Indigenous Peoples, and biodiversity, including as a crucial part of the climate system, and investors’ policies and practices can impact forests both positively and negatively. Ms.. Laible has also been active in the fossil fuel divestment movement. She has supported divestment outreach and advocacy efforts, especially those related to the NYS Common Retirement Fund. Carole serves as a founding member of Sustainability Accounting Standards Board™ (SASB)™ Investor Advisory Group, now known as the ISSB Investor Advisory Group, engaging with companies on the use of SASB metrics. She works to support diversity in the field of finance, including as a Global Angel member of 100 Women in Finance. Ms. Laible holds a B.S. in accountancy from St. John’s University.

Mr. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility

Lawyer by profession, politician by choice, and conservationist at heart, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez was elected as CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility by its governing body, the GEF Council, in June 2020. The former Costa Rican Environment and Energy Minister was a pioneer in the development of Payment for Ecosystem Services initiatives and strategies for forest restoration, ocean conservation, and de-carbonization, and is an internationally recognized expert on environmental policy, multilateral environmental negotiations, and financing for nature conservation. During his three terms as Minister of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica doubled the size of its forests, made its electric sector 100 percent clean and renewable, and consolidated a National Park System that has positioned the Central American country as a prime ecotourism destination.

Mr. Ambroise Fayolle, Vice President, European Investment Bank

Ambroise is responsible for climate action and environment, development policy, and oversees EIB activities in France, Germany, and countries in Africa. He spent most of his career in various positions at the French Treasury Department and at the IMF and World Bank before moving to EIB.

Ms. Lisa Martin CPSM, C.P.M, Senior Vice President, Global Procurement and Chief Procurement Officer for global biopharma company, GSK

Lisa Martin, CPSM, C.P.M is Senior Vice President, Global Procurement and Chief Procurement Officer for global biopharma company, GSK. She leads procurement of all externally purchased goods and services, totalling over £9 billion per year. Lisa also leads Worldwide Real Estate and Facilities across all of GSK’s 287 sites, with a budget of over £350 million. Lisa is part of to The Sustainable Procurement Pledge to improve responsible sourcing practices amongst procurement professionals. She is also an inclusion and diversity advocate, sponsoring Employee Resource Groups, leading diverse recruitment efforts and driving increased spending with diverse suppliers. Before joining GSK, Lisa was CPO of Teva Pharmaceuticals. Lisa has held roles at Pfizer, Warner Lambert, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Pictures Entertainment and NBC. In 2013, Lisa was awarded the prestigious J. Shipman Gold Medal Award for distinguished service to the supply management profession. Lisa is Chairperson Emeritus of the Institute for Supply Management. She earned a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in communications and psychology from Long Island University C.W. Post College, New York.

H.E. Ms. Bérangère Couillard, Minister of State for Ecology of France

Bérangère Couillard was born in Rennes, France. She has a Master degree in Marketing and Sales from the Institute of Management of Rennes. After her studies, she pursued a career in the food industry and then in the textile sector near Bordeaux, France. In 2017, she joined « En Marche » the French political movement created by Emmanuel Macron. In June 2017, she was elected MP in the national assembly and then reelected in 2022. In the national assembly, she handled the mission of recorder for the Transport Law, a major law of the first president Macron's five-year term, which aims at modernizing the French public and private transports and at making them cleaner and more sustainable. At the same time, she wrote and was recorder of a law to protect from domestic violence, definitively adopted in July 2020. Since September 2021, she is a member of the French High Council for Gender Equality's (HCE). In the national assembly, she is also a member of the French Sustainable Development and Country Planning committee, a member of the French Gender Equality Delegation and was designated spokeswoman for « La République en March » in the national assembly. In 2022, she was in charge of Gender Equality topics for the President's national campaign and wrote the gender equality part of the program. The 4th of July 2022, Bérangère Couillard was appointed Minister of State for Ecology. She is now in charge of biodiversity, wild animal welfare, water, waste processing, and forest.

H.E. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji

Frank Bainimarama has been the Fijian Prime Minister since 2007. Under his leadership, Fiji has undergone a broad program of social, economic, electoral and constitutional reforms, leading up to the establishment of Fiji’s first genuine parliamentary democracy of equal votes of equal value in 2014. He enlisted into the Royal Fiji Military Forces Naval Division as an Ordinary Seaman in 1975. He held the position of Commander of the Royal Fiji Military Forces for 15 years. He retired from the Military on 5th March, 2014, after 39 years of service at the rank of Rear-Admiral.

H.E. Mr. Anthony Albanese, MP, Prime Minister of Australia

The Hon Anthony Albanese MP was sworn in as Australia’s 31st Prime Minister on 23 May 2022. Anthony Albanese previously served as Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Representatives. As Infrastructure Minister and Communications Minister, he delivered nation-building projects, connecting the country through thousands of kilometres of roads and rail, and rolling out the high-speed fibre National Broadband Network. He was widely recognised for his ability to bring stakeholders, businesses, and communities together to deliver projects that boosted the economy, enhanced productivity, and improved Australia’s quality of life. Anthony was first elected to the Australian Parliament as the member for the Sydney seat of Grayndler in 1996. In 2019, he was unanimously elected as the Leader of the Australian Labor Party. Anthony grew up with his mother, Maryanne, in a council house in Sydney. As he watched his mum juggling the challenges of life on a disability pension, Anthony came to understand the power of a parent’s love in the face of hardship – and the power of government to change lives for the better. This knowledge still drives him today – both as Prime Minister and as a father – as he works to building a stronger Australia to hand to his son Nathan’s generation.

H.E. Mr. Sauli Niinistö, President of the Republic of Finland

Sauli Niinistö is the 12th President of the Republic of Finland. He took office on March 2012 and was re-elected for another term in January 2018. Sauli Niinistö was first elected to Parliament in 1987 and served as Minister of Justice 1995-1996 and Minister of Finance 1996-2003. In 2003, he took up the post of Vice President of the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg. He returned to the Finnish Parliament in the 2007 and served as the Speaker of Parliament until 2011. President Niinistö has a Bachelor of Laws degree from University of Turku.

Ms. Inger Anderson, Executive Director, UN Environmental Program

Inger Andersen is Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. Between 2015 and 2019, Ms. Andersen was the Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Ms. Andersen has more than 30 years of experience in international development economics, environmental sustainability, strategy and operations. For 15 years at The World Bank, Ms. Andersen held several leadership positions including Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa; Vice President for Sustainable Development and Head of the CGIAR Fund Council. Prior to the World Bank, Ms. Andersen worked for 12 years on drought, desertification; and water management at the United Nations including at the UN Sudano-Sahelian Office and UNDP.

Ms. Elizabeth Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema is the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. She has worked with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for over two decades and was the Director of Law Division at UNEP. Prior to that, she was Deputy Director of the Ecosystems Division, in charge of coordination, operations and programme delivery. She also served as Executive Secretary of the UNEP/Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Her work at UNEP has focused on development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, including multilateral environmental agreements at national, regional and international levels.

The Rt Hon Lord Goldsmith, Minister of State (Minister for the Pacific and the International Environment) of the United Kingdom

From 1995 to 1996, Zac worked for the California-based environmental economics thinktank Redefining Progress, before working for the non-profit International Society for Ecology and Culture. In 1998, Zac became editor of the Ecologist magazine. Zac was first elected as Member of Parliament for his home seat of Richmond Park and North Kingston in 2010. He was also a member of the Environmental Audit Committee for nearly a decade. In March 2018, Zac helped to coordinate the international illegal wildlife trade conference which was held in London in October. In July 2019, Zac was appointed as the Parliamentary UnderSecretary for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for International Development. Zac’s responsibilities included climate change, international environment, the illegal wildlife trade, forests and animal welfare. Later in September 2019, Zac was promoted to Minister of State for: the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and the Department for International Development. Zac now sits in the House of Lords and continues as Minister. Outside of his political work, Zac has raised significant funds for a wide range of conservation and environmental campaigns.