By H.E. Ms. Carolina Olarte Bácares, Ambassador of Colombia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, with 10% of the world’s biodiversity located within its around two million square kilometers of land, seas and rivers. Its Pacific region alone, one of the top global biodiversity hotspots, comprises more than 200 protected areas and 11 National Natural Parks which represent the habitat for approximately 1.300 species of fauna and 14.000 species of plants.
It therefore comes as no surprise that our government devotes consistent efforts to position our country at the forefront of the protection of biodiversity and the global climate action agenda, consolidating its active role and strong commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable development.
As I write these words, more than 23.000 delegates, including Heads of State, foreign ministers, ministers of environment and other government officials, representatives of intergovernmental organizations, international institutions, business enterprises, conservation experts, academia, NGOs, local communities, ethnic and indigenous groups, youth, women, farmers, among other civil society organizations, from all around the world, are convening in Cali – at the epicenter of Colombian Pacific region – on the occasion of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which initiated on 21 October and extends throughout two weeks, until 1 November.
‘Peace with Nature’, the message that will be sent from Colombia to the world during COP 16, is not only a slogan but a call to reflection based on a recognition of the current unequal relationship between humankind and the ecosystems, with a view to improving it, and to rethink an economic model aiming not to prioritize extraction, contamination of nature and overexploitation of its capacities.
During COP 16, the Colombian Government will officially present the “Declaration of the World Coalition for Peace with Nature”, as an initiative that seeks to create awareness and global mobilization around environmental protection. This Coalition will serve as a platform for action after COP 16, aiming to involve governments and civil society in a joint effort for the preservation of nature. In this declaration, governments will commit, among other things, to promote the consolidation, strengthening and creation of further ties between countries and regions, as well as stronger international cooperation and greater assistance to developing countries.
Through our Embassy in the Netherlands, Colombia has also disseminated, in multiple scenarios and through different means, the importance of COP 16, the issues that the world must address with it, and the positions that our country has assumed in that regard.
Earlier this year, for instance, during the four days-long visit by the Colombian Navy Training Vessel “A.R.C. Gloria”, our “Ambassador in the seas of the world”, to the port of Scheveningen in The Hague, we put in place an ample agenda of activities, including the celebration of our national day and a lecture by Colombian scientist Juan Diego Soler on the Antarctic and climate change, in which COP 16, the role of our country in the protection of the environment and our efforts towards the fight against climate change and the loss of biodiversity were shared among the diplomatic corps, government officials, judges and staff of international tribunals, academic authorities, local community, and strategic partners present in the Netherlands.
We have also delivered this message in cultural events, such as the concert featuring Colombian artist Gabriela Ponce, and through statements before international organizations and tribunals, as well as during exchanges with the legal and academic community, in all of which we have intervened to highlight the role that Colombia has assumed in the development of international law on issues related to the environment and climate change.
In that regard, I have been honored to intervene as speaker at Leiden University to share the experiences and views of Colombia on environmental protection and peacebuilding, and at The Hague Academy of International Law to deliver a lecture on the interventions of Colombia in ongoing advisory proceedings on the climate crisis before international tribunals.
Later this year, in November, the Embassy will co-organize along with Diplomat Magazine and the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) an event with the presence of our Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Jorge Rojas Rodríguez, and distinguished panelists to discuss outcomes, challenges and opportunities after COP 16. In December, Colombia will intervene before the International Court of Justice during the oral hearings to take place in relation to the advisory proceedings concerning the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change, after having submitted its Statement and Comments during the written proceedings.
The Embassy has also worked along Colombian enterprises and associations to showcase several products which represent not only the biodiversity of our country, but also sustainable, innovative and inclusive business models. We joined the Colombian Association of Flowers Exporters (Asocolflores) during the 13th International Floriculture Trade Fair, and the National Fund for Cocoa (Fedecacao) during the 12th edition of the Chocoa Amsterdam Cocoa Week, where the work of Colombian female cocoa entrepreneurs was highlighted, promoting our country as a leader in gender-inclusive environmental diplomacy.
As the COP 16 unfolds, all eyes are upon Colombia as a “Power of Life”, rich in human and natural diversity, in a unique opportunity to show the world not only why it is “The Country of Beauty” but also how for all humankind, as President Gustavo Petro has said, “this is the time for the protection of life, for Peace with Nature”.
