NBSAP FORUM 2.0 LAUNCHES TO HELP NATIONS MEET 2030 TARGETS FOR NATURE

In celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity, today sees the launch of the NBSAP Forum 2.0, providing an online platform for biodiversity experts working on national efforts towards the latest internationally agreed targets for nature.

The learning and knowledge-sharing website is led by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), the United Nations Development Programme, the UN Environment Programme and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with technical support from the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).

Originally launched in 2013, the Forum acts as a central resources library and meeting place to help inform the progression of countries’ National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) – country-level plans outlining what individual nations are doing to realise global targets for nature, which are overseen by the SCBD.

Now incorporating the targets and action themes of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and related package of decisions, the NBSAP Forum 2.0 gives practitioners an online space to connect and discuss issues related to NBSAP alignment and roll out, as well as hosting a major library of related guidance resources, articles and e-learning training sessions.

Working alongside our NBSAP Forum 2.0 partners, UNEP-WCMC has a direct role supporting national governments to revise, deliver and monitor implementation of their NBSAPs, in line with the key decisions and outcomes from last year’s COP15 biodiversity conference.

Via the Forum 2.0 – which acts as a mechanism to host and promote material prepared through the GEF’s Early Action Support project and the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership – UNEP-WCMC is providing countries with technical support, learning and guidance materials to help them understand and incorporate the new targets, develop clear financing plans for implementation and prepare for national monitoring. We also co-manage a technical help desk in English, French and Spanish to directly respond to countries’ queries.

UNEP-WCMC has been a core technical partner in the development of the Forum since its 2013 launch, producing guidance and e-learning materials on our expert topic areas including NBSAP target setting and indicators, ecosystem services assessments and the use of spatial data and mapping to boost action plans.

Under the previous Aichi Biodiversity Targets, alongside UNDP and the SCBD, we provided technical support and advice to over 130 countries to review and revise their NBSAPs.